Ukrainian Jews Petition for Pollard Release

JTA - August 9, 2007

Ukrainian Jews are calling on the United States to pardon Jonathan Pollard.

A group of Ukrainian Jewish activists meeting Monday in Kiev with William Taylor, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, presented a petition signed by more than 10,000 people seeking the commutation of Pollard's life sentence. The U.S. naval analyst pleaded guilty to spying for Israel and was sentenced in 1986.

Ukrainian Jews believe the punishment was out of proportion to those for similar crimes.

The delegation that met with Taylor was headed by Yaakov Dov Bleich, the chief rabbi of Kiev, and Jewish leader Dmitry Vilensky.