Jonathan Pollard, Remembered and Forgotten

Daryl Temkin, Ph.D. - Israel Institute - Pivotal Thought Column - February 22, 2007

[May be reprinted with appropriate credit shown.]

For the last twenty-two years, Jonathan Pollard is a name that has been remembered, forgotten, remembered, and forgotten. In recent days, a rekindled memory is being resurrected for people to once again call out the name, Jonathan Pollard.

Similar to a Simon and Garfunkel lyric which compares the visionary architect Frank Lloyd Wright to generations of other architects, the lyric reads, "Architects may come and architects may go and they never change 'their' point of view", we have now experienced more than two decades of American administrations who promise to modify the Pollard penalty, but these promises have gone unfulfilled. Over the years, how many ranking American officials have convinced Jewish communal leaders that they will reconsider the Pollard decision, that they will correct this excessive punishment which would lead to his release and/or pardon? All those promises were short lived and replaced with claims of secret damaging evidence.

The Pollard case is about a man in his twenties who saw that significant security information which America had promised to supply Israel concerning weapon and troop movements in various Arab countries was being illegally withheld. Pollard's tolerance for the various American officials who made their personal decision to place Israel in greater jeopardy became too painful for him to bear. Pollard made contact with an Israeli who received and then transferred to Israel the copies of the security information which should have been legally given to Israel. This was done in the hope of securing Israel's future safety.

Two decades later, it still is evident that none of the information transferred placed America at risk and no American security agent's identity has been compromised. No one has died or has even been threatened due to Pollard's actions. This was a case of giving information to a friendly nation which was legally entitled to that information. However, it appears that certain American officials decided to prevent Israel from receiving this information which could threaten its security.

In spite of the fact that Israel has remained America's close friend and America was supposed to share this specific information with Israel, Jonathan Pollard did commit a crime. There were other ways that Pollard could have tried to bring attention to the fact that American officials were denying and defying American policy. However, Pollard decided to do what he saw to be most expedient and immediately effective.

A plea bargain was strongly recommended to Jonathan in order to prevent a life imprisonment sentence for this crime. The American justice system was abused, the plea bargain was actually used as an admission of guilt, and the judge maliciously sentenced him to a lifelong imprisonment. This degree of punishment for comparable crime is unprecedented.

Many legal scholars and journalists have researched this case and cannot justify the extreme degree of criminality assigned to Pollard. It would appear that if Pollard was exposed to such top-secrets that twenty-two years later, he would still be considered a "loose canon", a risk threatening the balance of America's security -- everyone knows how ridiculous that is. Many believe that Pollard is kept behind bars because he is capable of testifying to the criminal activities of ranking American officials who up to this point have escaped justice. If this be the case, then, for those people, securing and continuing Pollard's life sentence is not negotiable.

There are unsupported allegations that what Pollard did may have gotten into the hands of the Soviets, and, also, there is an ongoing claim that there is a secret file on Pollard which cannot be released. Investigators remain puzzled as to what could possibly be in that secret file. Some expect that the secret file is so secret that it doesn't even know about itself.

After all the thankless and risk-filled concessions that President Clinton required of Israel, it was understood that when Clinton completed his term of office, he would thank Israel with a last minute pardon for Pollard.

As Clinton made his last minute pardons of significant criminals, the Jewish world waited breathlessly for the name of Jonathan Pollard to be announced. Unfortunately, Mr. Clinton joined the ranks of his predecessors and did nothing.

Clinton left major segments of the Jewish and non-Jewish community in shock because they were mistakenly expecting the President to be a man of courage, a man of his word, and a man who would not be swayed. That omitted Clinton pardon will forever remain a moment of consequential disheartening memory. Once again, Israel was left compromised without the gesture of thanks. And the keys to Jonathan Pollard's cell were once again hidden if not thrown away.

The name Jonathan Pollard would fade from memory as a helpless situation and a cause which few people would keep alive. Except there were some outstanding persons who made it their business to visit Jonathan. Among them, the famed activist, Rabbi Avi Weiss, and the Jerusalem Post's Caroline Glick, a truth- seeking journalist who writes with wisdom, insight, and passion.

Avi, Caroline, and others who have reported on their visits with Jonathan came away as if they had returned from a ghostly planet. Not because of the shock in seeing and experiencing the oppressive and sparse high security federal prison environment, but because their personal experience with Jonathan was so profound -- as if they were evidently touched and extraordinarily impressed by his intellect.

Since in prison, purportedly Jonathan has devised a breakthrough solution to obstacles in hydrogen technology and alternative fuel advancements. Outstanding scientists have learned from Jonathan's solutions and have reported their amazement with his technological insights and scientific concepts. But it appears more important that Jonathan be kept imprisoned for crimes that few, if any, understand then to allow the world to benefit from the possibility that he may have a solution to an alternative fuel technology.

Now as the eight years of the George Bush administration comes to a close, there is a chance for Mr. Bush to do what his predecessor failed to accomplish. More and more high ranking governmental officials are admitting that there is no longer a legitimate reason for keeping Pollard behind bars. Simply put, it is time to right the wrongs of the past and to bring Jonathan Pollard back into memory and obtain his release.

Rabbi Pesach Lerner has urgently called on all concerned citizens to phone the White House at (202) 456-1414 between 11:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M., EST, and make it known that they support therelease of Jonathan Pollard. That's all you need to say to the White House operator.

The ironic and sad dimension of Pollard is that if he had been a dangerous life-threatening terrorist, he most likely would have been released from prison long ago. It's time that our country reclaims its values, stops protecting criminals, and punishes those who really put America's future at stake.

Let us not forget Jonathan Pollard again. Perhaps with enough social outcries, our protest calling for justice will be rewarded. Hopefully, soon, Jonathan Pollard will rejoin our society and justice would regain a humane level.

We need a Frank Lloyd Wright style visionary who will have the courage and ability to take another point of view. Call the White House and spread the word to all your contacts to do the same and perhaps together, we can start "seeing" another point of view.

Bio Note: Daryl Temkin, Ph.D. is the director of the Israel EducationInstitute which is devoted to teaching history and contemporary issues of Israel to Jews and Non-Jews. His weekly opinion column, "Pivotal Thought", has been the interview and discussion topic for various television and radio talk shows. The column appears in a number of North American newspaper publications as well as on a wide selection of Internet blogs and E-magazines.