Pollard Ill But No High Level Delegation

Justice4JP Release - August 11, 2003

Jonathan Pollard experienced a medical emergency this past weekend. Reports leaked to the Hebrew media mistakenly added that a "high level delegation" is being formed in Israel to travel to Washington on Jonathan's behalf. This is not the case. Similarly, reports that HaRav Mordecai Eliyahu will head the delegation are false.

To borrow a phrase from Hebrew: Lo dubim, vih lo ya'ar. (Literally: No bears, no forest.) Or in plain English, no such thing! There is no delegation being formed, and certainly no activity for Jonathan Pollard by the Government of Israel.

To set the record straight:

On Saturday night, August 9th, Jonathan Pollard suffered a gall bladder attack. He was seen by medical personnel at the prison infirmary. He was not taken to hospital as reported, nor was he hospitalized. Since he cannot be moved out of the prison complex without extensive authorizations from Washington, and then only under very heavily guarded conditions, he was seen only by in-prison infirmary staff.

A thorough examination revealed that he was suffering from dangerously high blood pressure, 160/120, complicated by the effects of the gall bladder attack. Because his condition was so serious he was monitored by the infirmary staff overnight and released the next morning. He returned to his unit and continued taking heavy doses of pain killers and blood pressure medication. He remains under medical watch in the prison.