Text: Jonathan Pollard's Letter to Adi Ginzburg Re Psak Halacha

To: Adi Ginzburg / Noar L'man Pollard

Date: October 17, 2005 B"H

From: Jonathan Pollard 09185-016
FCI Butner POB 1000
Butner North Carolina
USA 27509-1000

Toronto Phone: 416-781-3571 FAX: 416-781-3166
email: pollard@jonathanpollard.org
Web: jonathanpollard.org

Message:

Dear Adi

In response to the question: should our activists follow a leader whose behavior, attitude and modus operandi are in constant opposition to ours? The simple response is, no.

First of all, thank you for taking this critical question to HaRav Shlomo Aviner for psak halacha. I appreciate and fully endorse HaRav Aviner's response which reads:

"In response to your question, whether it is permitted to work for Jonathan Pollard in a manner which he strongly opposes, certainly one must not do so. [This is forbidden] whether from a moral standpoint, after all he is the one serving the sentence, not us; or whether from a political standpoint, since he has much more information than we do; or whether from the standpoint of effectiveness since he is likely to work to halt initiatives which he views as counterproductive and there is no way of knowing the permanent damage that may result."
(signed Ha Rav Shlomo Aviner)

Adi, if those who are in doubt, will take a minute to ask themselves the following questions, I think that they will find that the answer is clear. Here are the questions:

• Are you willing to follow a person who ignores psak halacha and openly challenges my right to decide how the fight for my release should proceed?

• Are you willing to follow a person who claims to be helping me, but who is impugning my character, questioning my sanity and my judgment, lying about my emotional state, and falsely claiming I am cut off from the world?

• Are you willing to follow a person who undermines me by wantonly slandering my most trusted spokesperson, my wife, thereby damaging her ability to speak for me?

• Are you willing to follow a person who has repeatedly attempted to mislead and subvert my Jerusalem attorney?

• Are you willing to follow a person who has no PR sense; who maligns our cause by openly contradicting me in the media and taking public positions opposite to ours?

In other words: Are you willing to follow a person who claims to have "good intentions" but lacks in moral conscience, and who is not a team player? Are you willing to follow a person who abuses his influence with young people by deliberately misinforming them? Ask yourself: is this the person that you want leading events for me? Speaking to the media for me? Meeting with officials for me?

I hope not.

Whatever good this person may have done in the past, the price I have paid was very high, and I am not willing to pay it any longer. It is inexcusable that this person now uses the same tactics and propaganda as the Government to undermine my credibility. Esther and I have been in touch with my Rav, His Honor, HaRav Mordecai Eliyahu about this. He is fully aware of the situation and gives his endorsement to the halachik ruling of HaRav Aviner.

Unfortunately this is not the first time in our or HaRav Eliyahu's experience that a person (high profile) takes positions injurious to me while claiming to be just trying to help me. The Rav does not take this kind of situation lightly; neither do we. On the advice of my Rav, we do the best we can to quietly separate from such people, to not endorse them, and to not give them any extra attention in the media by opposing them publicly. We simply remove ourselves from their sphere of malevolence. We ask those who truly support us to do so as well.

I hope this letter provides the information and answers you and our activists need.

Esther and I are deeply grateful to you and Nissan GanOr for the incredible work that you have been doing. We send our praise and our thanks to all the activists who work with you. We thank you for keeping us continuously updated and for consulting with us in all your endeavors. You are doing holy work and are truly team players! May HaShem bless you and all of our activists to know the truth in your hearts and to enable you to always follow it! Love and blessings from us both.

Stay well,
Jonathan