Rabbi Ovadia Yosef: U.S. Pollard Policy Hypocrisy

Matti Wagner - The Jerusalem Post - February 9, 2005

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef called Wednesday to join the campaign to free Jonathan Pollard.

In a radio interview, the preeminent Sephardi halachic authority and Shas spiritual mentor said the US's "hypocrisy" allowed it to keep Jonathan Pollard incarcerated while demanding that Israel release imprisoned Palestinian terrorists.

"The US takes pride in practicing loving kindness while treating an innocent man in such a way... They ask us to set free evil, murderous prisoners, that is what they demand in the name of peace. And now we have not done anything to them [the US] and we are allies. Why do they keep [Pollard] imprisoned?

"How many times have we appealed to them? But their ear is deaf. The American government is perpetrating a great injustice and we must denounce this in order to free him to good life and peace."

"I entreat everyone who can help, to help; and blessed be he who upholds these words of Torah."

Pollard, 49, was caught copying and passing on classified documents to Israel when he worked as a civilian intelligence analyst for the US Navy and is now serving his 20th year of imprisonment.