Rallying for Pollard

Israel National News - Arutz7 - May 21, 2003

Likud MK Gilad Erdan proposed new legislation today according to which diplomatic agreements between Israel and the U.S. must include the immediate release of Jonathan Pollard as an integral part. Some 2,000 people attended yesterday's rally on behalf of Pollard, the first ever organized in Israel. Asked why it was organized at this particular juncture, Eli Joseph of Maaleh Adumim - who completed a 150-day hunger strike on behalf of Jonathan Pollard three years ago - said, "Nothing caused us to do it specifically now - except for the feeling of shame eating away at us that we have not done enough for him."

The protestors gathered outside the American Consulate in Jerusalem to demand that President Bush pardon their fellow citizen, who is in his 18th year of a life sentence. Joseph said, though, that much of their attention should also be directed towards Education Minister Limor Livnat: "We call upon every school in the country to teach about Jonathan Pollard, what he did, what was done to him, and what we have not done on his behalf. We must demand that Minister Livnat have every teacher undergo a seminar on this as well."

More pro-Pollard public activities are expected in the near future.