Israeli Youth to Sharon: Demand Pollard's Release!

Miter Shleider - Maariv Online - April 13, 2004

[Translated by Justice4JP]

Demonstrators stood opposite the American Embassy in Tel Aviv shouting: "Arik! Arik! Heetorair, et Pollard tshachrare!" (Arik! Arik! Wake Up! Free Pollard Now!) One demonstrator: "Israel betrayed him!" Next steps to be taken: hunger strikes, and demonstrations against Government Ministers.

Hundreds of Israeli youth demonstrated today opposite the American Embassy in Tel Aviv demanding the release of Jonathan Pollard, in prison in the United States for spying on behalf of Israel.

The young demonstrators carried signs protesting "the abandonment of Jonathan Pollard" in American prison and shouted: "Arik! Arik! Heetorair, et Pollard tshachrare!" (Arik! Arik! Wake Up! Free Pollard Now!) They want Prime Minister Sharon to demand Pollard's release from President Bush during their upcoming meeting.

One of the girls demonstrating said to Maariv Online: " The time has come for a man who has done so much for our nation and who has been in prison since even before I was born, to finally come home. In my opinion, the State of Israel betrayed him."

Another demonstrator, by the name of Naphtali, added: "All Israeli youth has to arise and demand without compunction that this courageous man be returned home!"

Telephone Call to Esther Pollard

Eli Joseph, the organizer of the demonstration, told Maariv Online: "This is just the beginning of a daily campaign to free Jonathan Pollard. Youth came from all over the country to be here today."

"Tomorrow, I am starting a hunger strike opposite the Prime Minister's office. We will continue to organize demonstrations; every night we will have demonstrations outside of the Ministers' homes; we will stop their cars and demand that they hear us. It cannot be that a man that has done so much for the State should sit in prison for years because the leaders of successive Israeli Governments have been too cowardly and too afraid to bring up the issue with the American Government."

Representatives of the demonstrators placed a call to Esther Pollard (J4JP: Esther could hardly hear them over the noise of the crowd shouting: "Ha'Am! Ha'Am! Ha'Am rotzeh et Yehonatan!" (The Nation! The Nation! The Nation wants Jonathan!) They reached her on her way to visit Jonathan in prison and asked her to tell him that they wish him strength and that they are fighting for him. The police dispersed the demonstrators without incident.