Lieberman: Pollard Sentence Unfair, But That's the Way It Goes

JTA Breaking News - October 16, 2003

[See J4JP comment below.]

Lieberman Hints on Pollard

Senator Joseph Lieberman suggested that, if elected president, he would not support a pardon of convicted spy Jonathan Pollard. Speaking Wednesday to Jewish senior citizens in Pembroke Pines, Fla., Lieberman said that Pollard, the former Navy intelligence officer who spied for Israel, "did get an unfair sentence when compared to others, but that's sometimes how the system works." Lieberman also said he avoids interfering in criminal cases and noted that he has done nothing in the Senate on Pollard's behalf. Lieberman, who discussed Social Security and Medicare with the seniors, will travel to Dearborn, Mich., on Friday to speak to the Arab American Institute. He said he hopes his outspoken views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be received in the Arab community for what it is, an honest statement of personal beliefs.

J4JP Comment: Moral Cowardice and Hypocrisy, not Rectitude Characterize Lieberman Role

What kind of a man can stare the truth in the face and still refuse to address or correct a blatant miscarriage of justice which condemns another man to prison for the rest of his life?

Far from being a passive observer in the case of Jonathan Pollard, Senator Joseph Lieberman has actively, willingly played a KEY role in leading the charge AGAINST the release of Pollard for 18 years.

For all these years he lent himself as a willing tool of the CIA to slander and smear Jonathan while hiding behind a veil of secrecy, claiming 'if only you knew what I know, you too would oppose clemency for Pollard.'

For all these years he volunteered to be the excuse of key Government officials, including President and Hillary Clinton, who would point at Lieberman and say, "Senator Lieberman is a Jew and he opposes clemency for Pollard, I can do no less."

For all these years he has exploited Jonathan Pollard's plight, pointing to his opposition to justice for Jonathan Pollard to prove his bona fides to the gentiles; insisting that he does not support Israel or the Jewish Community unconditionally - that there are matters upon which they differ, such as the case of Jonathan Pollard.

Most egregious of all, Lieberman was the driving force behind the infamous "Lieberman Letter", a letter signed by 60 Senators calling on the President NOT to grant clemency to Jonathan Pollard.

In spite of his disproportionately influential role in keeping Pollard locked up for the rest of his life, Lieberman has consistently refused to meet with Pollard representatives, preferring instead to maintain an attitude of 'don't confuse me with the facts; my mind is made up!'

Nevertheless, over the last number of years so much truth about the Pollard case has emerged that Lieberman can no longer credibly claim that Pollard has had due process and deserves to remain in prison. Instead, the weight of truth has forced him to admit recently that "Pollard's sentence is unfair." But, incredibly, he still insists that nothing should be done about this injustice, because "that's sometimes how the system works." As he campaigns for the office of President of the United States, Lieberman assures the public, that if he is voted into the highest office of the land, he will continue to oppose justice for Jonathan Pollard.

What kind of a man campaigns for the office of President of the United States upon the blood of his brother?

A vote for Joseph Lieberman is a vote against truth and justice. A vote for Lieberman is a vote against Israel. A vote for freedom for Jonathan Pollard is a vote against the kind of two-faced scoundrel Lieberman has shown himself to be, not only on the Pollard issue, but on a host of issues germane to Israel and the American Jewish Community. For further information see the Senator Joseph Lieberman Page on the J4JP web site.