Letter: Abandoning Jonathan Pollard

Goldi Steiner - Canadian Jewish News - April 22, 2004

I am trying hard to contain my anger and disgust at the duplicity and inhuman behaviour of the Israeli government toward Jonathan Pollard, who sacrificed his freedom and youth to safeguard the security of all Isaelis.

What image do we Jews present to the rest of the world, especially the United States, who see nothing but our self-abasement? The United States, knows we know what they did and keep doing to Pollard. How they must disdain us.

Many years ago, during on of Ariel Sharon's visits to Toronto on a fundraising mission, he told me he couldn't do anything about the Pollard case, saying, "I am persona non grata in Washington." Well, he no longer is. What is his excuse now?

In 1967, we were respected and admired among the nations of the world. We knew how to act with self-respect, prudence and bravery.

After 19 years, it is time for the Jewish state and Jews world-wide to protest Pollard's discriminatory sentence and violation of his constitutional rights, and demand his immediate release.

That would go a long way to redeeming our self-respect and perhaps the respect of the international community.