Pollard-In-Kefiyah Posters Adorn Jerusalem

Hillel Fendel - Arutz7 News - October 12, 2005

Activists who refuse to forget the continued incarceration of Jonathan Pollard posted thousands of controversial posters throughout Jerusalem this week, demanding that PM Sharon secure his release.

The posters take the bold step of portraying Pollard wearing an Arab kefiya, with a large headline stating: "If Pollard was a terrorist, Sharon would ensure his release."

The Committee for the Release of Jonathan Pollard notes that this is just the first of a series of protest gestures of this type. The protests are directed against the fact that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has agreed in the past to release Arab terrorists from Israeli prison, and has apparently agreed to release more in the future. It was reported today that the IDF also supports such releases, in order to strengthen Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen).

Throughout the years of Arab prisoner releases, Pollard, however, has not been freed. He is about to complete his 20th year in a U.S. federal prison for having shared classified information with Israel - particularly regarding the dangers it faced from Iraq. Pollard himself wrote several years ago, "Nowhere in my indictment... was I ever described as a 'traitor,' which is hardly a surprise given the fact that the operation with which I was associated actually served to strengthen America's long-term security interests in the Middle East."

Adi Ginzberg is a leader of the Israeli campaign to arouse public awareness of the importance of pressuring the government to demand Pollard's release. "It is inconceivable," he says, "that while Pollard sits for 20 years, the State of Israel acts in accordance with a U.S. request to release terrorists who have blood on their hands."

Palestinian Authority minister Sufian Abu Zaida said on Tuesday that Israel appeared willing to reconsider the status of some PA terrorists and thus lead to their early release.

Ginzberg also said that his group would place additional posters on the homes and offices of government ministers, "so that they will no longer be able to ignore this Israeli spy who is imprisoned in the United States."

The bottom of the poster states the following:

• On November 21, 2005, Israeli agent, Jonathan Pollard will enter his 21st year of a life sentence for his activities on behalf of the security of the State of Israel.

• Sharon has repeatedly responded positively to American requests to free murders and terrorists as a gesture to Abu Mazen.

• But Sharon has never demanded the release of Jonathan Pollard from the US as a gesture to Israel.

• SHARON, RELEASE PRISONER-OF-ZION POLLARD -- NOT TERRORISTS!

An emotional Selichot prayer rally was held on behalf of Jonathan Pollard at the Machpelah Cave in Hevron on Monday night. Among the standing-room only crowd were former Chief Rabbi Mordecai Eliyahu,Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, and Hevron's Rabbi Hillel Horowitz.