Pollard Ad Campaign Provokes Govt. Response

Justice4JP Release - March 15, 2006

As hundreds of buses all over the country rolled out yesterday with display ads featuring Jonathan Pollard and the embarrassing text:

Jonathan Pollard 21 Years in Prison in the USA. Where is the sense of shame?,

News media in Israel reported today that Minster of Interior Gideon Ezra challenged US Ambassador, Richard Jones, demanding to know why there has been no progress in the Pollard case when Soviet Spies caught in the US have been freed.

The Americans, sensing that this was a PR move to convince the public that Israel continues to work for Jonathan's release and that the Americans are being intransigent, responded curtly..

They lobbed the lit grenade back at Minister Ezra by stating the obvious: the place to raise the issue of the release of Pollard is in Washington, not in the Ambassador's office!

As the American response indicates, any serious attempt to secure Jonathan Pollard's release would never occur at the Ambassadorial level; and certainly not in full public view!

The relevant excerpt from the Jerusalem Post's report (15/03/06) follows below:

"Meanwhile, during the meeting [with the Ambassador], Ezra asked why there has been no change in the situation of Jonathan Pollard, who was in jail in the US for spying for Israel, especially since former Soviet spies had been freed.

He didn't answer the question, said Superintendent Yehuda Maman, Ezra's spokesman.

Tuttle [The American Embassy Spokesperson] said: "The position is basic. The case is closed and he's serving his sentence. More specific questions have to be referred to Washington, as it's not the ambassador's responsibility."

See full text of Jerusalem Post article.