UAHC President Emeritus Appeals to President Clinton, Again

Justice4JP Release - October 24, 2000

Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler, President Emeritus
Chairman, North American Endowment
for the Future of Reform Judaism

October 2, 2000

Mr. William Jefferson Clinton
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C.

Dear President Clinton,

First of all, I want to thank you for your herculean efforts to persist with the Middle East peace process despite the political risks which it entails. You are a leader of courage and conviction and you merit our admiration and applause.

I turn to you concerning a matter which may well seem trifling compared to the global issues which command your all-consuming concern, for it involves the fates of an individual rather than the destinay of populations. I am impelled to do so, not only by the spirit of the High Holidays which are upon us, but heedful also of the teaching of Martin Buber who bade us remember that "he who cares about the well-being of men but is heedless of the pain of a man is not to be given credence even if he is sincere.."

I refer now to your ongoing review of Jonathan Pollard in whose behalf I wrote you several times before. Some days ago new information was brought to my attention which only furthers my conviction that Jonathan Pollard's continued imprisonment not only does violence to the principle of equal justice under the law, but that, in fact, his original sentencing was seriously flawed by the misconduct of governmental leaders and further exacerbated by the distressing inadequacy of his own counsel.

I am enclosing the legal briefs filed by Mr. Pollard's new attorneys seeking his resentencing in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. I respectfully urge that you consider their submissions as part of your executive review.

I prayerfully hope that you will come to share my conviction that Jonathan Pollard's continued incarceration, now spanning fifteen years, has long since crossed the line where justice ends and vindictiveness begins.

Faithfully yours,
(signed)

Rabbi Alexander Schindler