Pollard sues state for lying about money transfers

Matt Zalen - The Jerusalem Post - August 4, 2008

Convicted spy Jonathan Pollard filed a lawsuit against the State of Israel on Monday, claiming that the country had failed to provide financial assistance either to him or his wife since his incarceration in a US jail nearly

23 years ago

At the hearing in the Tel Aviv District Court, lawyers for Pollard said that their client did not file the suit in order to receive the financial compensation, but rather to highlight the "lies of the state regarding its treatment towards him."

"The state is lying to the media, to the general public and to the courts when it claims that it supports Pollard and his wife in various ways, and supports them financially," a press release issued by Shurat Hadin, the organization which represents the Israeli spy in his lawsuit, quoted the petition as saying.

"The state's lie is thwarting the public struggle for his release, because if the courts believe that the state is helping him financially, [it is seen as] doing everything in its ability to secure his release," the lawsuit claimed.

Pollard further stated in his lawsuit that all efforts to clarify Israel's claim of money transfers had proven fruitless. In the past, Pollard said, the Prime Minister's Office rejected lawsuits which sought an explanation using a variety of "strange reasons," such as "a right to privacy," "sensitive reasons," and "out of concern that it would harm the wellbeing of Pollard and the efforts of the State of Israel to help him."

According to Pollard's lawyer, Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, Israel was purposely defrauding its citizens in order to be seen in a better light.

"The state is throwing sand in the face of the public, and steadfastly lying to the wider public and the courts," Darshan-Leitner said. "The state is not allowed to fool the public into thinking that it is doing something for Pollard."

"If [Israel] has given even a shekel to Pollard or his wife - then it should prove it," Pollard's lawyer continued. "We know the truth, it will come out in court."

Pollard, a former civilian intelligence analyst for the US Navy, pleaded guilty to transferring military secrets to Israel while working at the Pentagon. He is serving a life sentence in a US federal prison.