Former Hostages, P.O.W.s, & Prisoners of Zion Appeal for Pollard

Released on November 21, 2004

Translated from Hebrew
[Click here to see the Hebrew original in PDF format.]

November 17, 2004 (4 Kislev 5765) B"H

To Prime Minister Ariel Sharon:

Re: November 21, 2004 (Chet Kislev)- Jonathan Pollard begins 20th Year of incarceration

Shalom rav!

We the Piduay Shevi, (Redeemed Hostages/P.O.W.s); the Assirei Machteret (Prisoners of the Underground); and former Asserei Tzion (Prisoners of Zion) who have been imprisoned and held captive because of our actions on behalf of the State of Israel, identify with and want to express our support for Jonathan Pollard. On November 21, 2004 (Chet Kislev) Pollard will enter his 20th year of a life sentence for his activities on behalf of Israel.

As you are aware, Mr. Prime Minister, Jonathan Pollard is serving the longest, harshest sentence in the history of the United States of anyone who was ever charged with a similar offense, spying for an ally. The median sentence for this offense is 2 to 4 years, with some receiving no jail time at all. Pollard, a Jew, who worked on behalf of the Jewish State, is the only person in the history of the U.S. to receive a life sentence for this offense.

The State of Israel has never protested Jonathan's grossly disproportionate sentence or his harsh treatment. As his continued incarceration proves, Israel has done little or nothing for the last 2 decades to bring him home.

As you are also well aware Mr. Prime Minister, in response to lawsuits filed in Israel's Supreme Court by Jonathan Pollard, the Government of Israel finally stopped the denials and granted Jonathan Pollard Citizenship in 1995 and recognized him as a bona fide Israeli agent in 1998. [See official document attached.] These major changes in Jonathan's official status were tools and opportunities for the Government of Israel to secure Jonathan's immediate release, the same way that it did for our agents who were captured in Switzerland, in Jordan, in Cyprus, and most recently in New Zealand. Unfortunately the Government of Israel chose not to act on behalf of Pollard in the same intensive way, and on November 21, 2004 he will enter his 20th year of incarceration for his activities on behalf of the Jewish State.

As Prime Minister, it is incumbent upon you to do whatever is necessary to bring Jonathan Pollard home at once, and thus end the humiliation and degradation of the People of Israel. We urge you to immediately activate the Ministry of Defense and to implement all the necessary resources to secure the release of Jonathan Pollard that you recently expended to bring Elchanan Tanenbaum home. We urge you to take immediate and serious steps so that Pollard can be home in the Land with his wife and his People in plenty of time to light Chanukah Candles as a free man. As the Prime Minister of Israel whose legal and moral obligation it is to rescue an Israeli agent in peril, you can do no less.

Respectfully yours,

Signed:

Assirei Machteret (Former Prisoners of the Underground Organizations)

Signing on behalf of their respective groups or organizations:

Tuvia Chen Tzion

Avraham Ben-Har

Yitzchak Even-Zohar

Pinchas Ginosar

Yehudit Ginosar

Ezriel Livnat

Geula Cohen

Baruch Guttmacher

Piduay Shevi (Redeemed Hostages/ P.O.WS)

Margalit Cohen

Chezi Shai

David Avudraham

Oded Zamir

Yaacov Gur

Uri Aharonfeld

Sami Ben Abu

Beni Finestein

Dudi Biton

Rafi Eldan

Charley Ben Kassom

Yisasschar Ben Daniel

Yaacov Bronfeld

Ovadia Gavriel

Ido Goldhecht

Dani Gilboa

Arik Ginosar

Fezi Hirshtock

Yosef Weiss

David Ziv

Yitzchak Carmel

Assirei Tzion (Prisoners of Zion)

Yosef Mendelevitch

Shlomo Dreizner

Yaacov Suslenski

David Maayan

Ezriel Kochubievski

Organizations and Groups

Amutah Assirei Lechi [The Lechi Fighters Organization]

Amutah Arim B'Layla