Statement of J4JP and The Committee to Bring Jonathan Pollard Home

Re US Intelligence Community's Disinformation Campaign Broadcast by Israel's Channel 10

Media Release - November 12, 2006

The timing of a broadcast released exclusively to Israel's Channel 10 TV tonight smearing Jonathan Pollard in a calculated disinformation campaign orchestrated by American Naval intelligence was not happenstance.

Airing a day before the Bush - Olmert meeting in Washington, and a week before Pollard completes his 21st year in prison, the smear campaign is the work of the same anti-Semitic elements in the defense intelligence community, which have always worked to keep Pollard in prison. It flows from a genuine fear that President Bush is about to set Pollard free.

The smear against Pollard and the recirculation of all the old lies about the case are intended to arouse public indignation against the Israeli agent and thereby attempt to tie the president's hands preventing him from responding positively to an Israeli request to free Pollard.

This kind of blatant smear campaign has been carried out successfully by the American intelligence community several times before, always at a time that freedom for Pollard seemed imminent. This is precisely the kind of smear campaign that was waged after the Wye Summit in 1998 to ensure that Pollard remained in prison, in spite of an explicit commitment on the part of the American President to free him.

The President of the United States of America has unlimited powers of clemency. As has been amply demonstrated in the past by President Clinton's release of 14 FALN terrorists, and a host of faulty pardons, the president is not dependent on the approval of outside agencies for his decision to pardon.

We call upon Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to resist hiding behind a meaningless smear campaign orchestrated by enemies of Israel, and to immediately deal forthrightly with his obligation to secure the release of Israel's longest held captive, Jonathan Pollard.

Mr. Olmert, we remind you: Israel has a captive in America. It is up to you to discharge your responsibility to secure his release after 21 years in captivity for his service to Israel.

Mr. Olmert, don't come home without Pollard!