Report on Former Chief Rabbi Eliyahu's Visit to Jonathan Pollard

Justice4JPNews and Radio Kol Chai - June 18, 2007

On Wednesday June 13, 2007, the former Chief Rabbi of Israel, HaRav Mordechai Eliyahu, visited Jonathan Pollard in prison. The Rabbi's Chief of Staff, Rabbi Shmuel Zafrani, and Bureau Director, Rabbi Chaim Suissa, accompanied HaRav Eliyahu on this visit.

Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Executive Vice President of the National Council of Young Israel, greeted the former Chief Rabbi at the airport in Raleigh, North Carolina. Rabbi Lerner escorted the entourage to the prison visit at FCI Butner, where Pollard is currently completing his 22nd year of a life sentence for his service to the security of the State of Israel.

The following day (14 June 2007) Esther Pollard, wife of Jonathan Pollard was interviewed in Hebrew by Ronnie of Radio Kol Chai about the meeting. The following transcript is a rendition of the interview in English.

RADIO KOL CHAI:

Esther, what can you tell us about the meeting between your husband, Jonathan Pollard and the Rishon LeZion, HaRav Mordechai Eliyahu?

ESTHER:

It was wonderful! It gave new life to Jonathan and to the Rav! They were so happy to see each other! You cannot imagine what is like when the Rav and Jonathan are together!

RADIO KOL CHAI:

Tell us about it.

ESTHER:

Jonathan and the Rav have a very special relationship - they are like father and son. They light up in the presence of each other! Their joy at being together just fills the room! They understand each other so well. Everyone who is at the meeting - guards included - feels energized by the light and love that the Rav and Jonathan reflect when they are together!

RADIO KOL CHAI:

How many times has HaRav Eliyahu visited Jonathan in prison? When was the last time His Honor visited Jonathan?

ESTHER:

Every time the Rav goes to the US, visiting Jonathan is his top priority - even when it may appear that he has other business there. He tells us that whatever else he may do in the States, everything else is secondary to visiting with Jonathan. The Rav has visited Jonathan numerous times, each time praying that this will be the last time, and Jonathan will be home before the next visit. He has been there a dozen or more times

RADIO KOL CHAI:

Does Harav Eliyahu's visit to Pollard at this time indicate that there is some new initiative for Jonathan?

ESTHER:

The Rav is always working for Jonathan's release - always - night and day, every day, without exception. As I indicated, he is like a father to Jonathan. Does a father ever stop working for his son's release?!

If you do not hear about the Rav's efforts or initiatives, it is because he is not like the others who make public statements about how they are working for Pollard. They make the noise for their own honor, but do very little. The Rav is not like that. He does not seek publicity.

RADIO KOL CHAI:

What do Jonathan and the Rav talk about when they are together?

ESTHER:

Everything! Current events, health issues, Halacha, politics, initiatives for Jonathan's release, everything! Nothing is off limits!

RADIO KOL CHAI:

Jonathan asks the Rav for p'sak din (halachic rulings) in prison?!

ESTHER:

Yes, of course. Jonathan does his utmost to keep Torah and mitzvohs even under the worst imaginable circumstances.

RADIO KOL CHAI:

How do you and Jonathan feel about Shimon Peres' election as president? We saw Jonathan's letter to the Members of Knesset telling them not to vote for Peres; that Peres was the one who betrayed Jonathan and handed over the evidence to incriminate him. You and Jonathan must be very disappointed.

ESTHER:

The way we look at it, we did our part; now we trust HaShem to do the rest. We worked very hard to publicize how unfit Shimon Peres is for the role of president. If we did not succeed in preventing him from being elected by the Knesset, we did succeed in exposing how corrupt and untrustworthy he is.

Our public protest - which was joined by so many other groups and individuals - had the effect of exposing other issues as well, such as how little attention is paid by the Members of Knesset to the voters which they are supposed to be representing! It also exposed Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's Shas Party - what they really stand for.

RADIO KOL CHAI:

Nevertheless, are you disappointed?

ESTHER:

No. You have to remember that a man who is raised up to high office is not always put there as a reward. Sometimes HaShem raises a man up as a test. Sometimes He raises him up in order to cast him down all the more thoroughly. Sometimes it is to expose him. And sometimes it is to thoroughly destroy him. We do not know HaShem's plan. We have to do our part, and trust HaShem to do the rest.

RADIO KOL CHAI:

What else did they speak about at the meeting?

ESTHER:

Jonathan spoke with the Rav about this and many other current issues and initiatives. I should point out that Jonathan consults with the Rav on all of our initiatives. We do not do anything without the approval and blessing of the Rav. The Rav guides and directs both of us in everything we do.

RADIO KOL CHAI:

You too? You have that kind of contact with the Rav?

ESTHER:

The Rav treats us like his own children. He is always available to us, and we are constantly in contact with him, keeping him updated, and seeking his advice and his blessing. The Rav has made it known to the Americans that he is willing to be Jonathan's guarantor and that he would be glad to have Jonathan released into his custody.

RADIO KOL CHAI:

There are rumors of a new communication - a new letter that the Rav recently wrote to President Bush.

ESTHER:

I cannot speak about that. I can tell you that in every communication with the White House, HaRav Eliyahu repeats his offer to be Jonathan's guarantor. This is not a small thing. It is a great honor that someone of the Rav's stature makes this offer!

RADIO KOL CHAI:

Esther, thank you for speaking with us. Let us hope that there will soon be good news, and the whole nation will turn out at the airport to welcome your husband home!
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