DRYBONES Cartoon: Prisoner Release Golden Oldie

Yaakov Kirschen - The Dry Bones Blog - September 1, 2009

Artist's commentary follows the cartoon below.

[View original article here.]

Commentary by Yaakov Kirschen

Back in 1999, Israel's government was planning to release convicted terrorists in a "deal". Back then they told us that they were working "quietly" for the release of Jonathan Pollard.

Ten years have gone by. Now, in 2009, another Israeli government is planning to release convicted terrorists in a "deal". And Jonathan Pollard is still in prison. Justice4JP Adds:

The terrorists which were released in 1999 were the 750 terrorists and murderers with blood on their hands, who were freed because of the 1998 Wye Accords. Then-PM Bibi Netanyahu agreed to free the murderers as the price for Pollard, who Bibi needed as his fig leaf "excuse" for signing the Wye Accords. When Clinton reneged at the last minute, Bibi folded, dumped Pollard and went home, but only after signing the infamous Wye Accords. His government subsequently fell, but the Wye Accords stood. [For details, see the Wye Double Cross Page.]

Bibi's successor, Barak, freed the 750 murderers and terrorists without bothering to collect the quid pro quo, Pollard.

More than a decade later, Bibi and Barak have teamed up to lead the Government of Israel as Prime Minister and Defense Minister respectively. If either of these "leaders" is aware that Pollard is still alive and still their responsibility, they give no sign. In point of fact, Pollard has been completely abandoned and has no Israeli government contact or support whatsoever.

Today, the only change needed to update Kirschen's 1999 cartoon is to note that the name "Bibi" is interchangeable with the name "Barak". The absence of moral conscience, absence of leadership and total lack of responsibility that Bibi and Barak demonstrate, while perpetuating and sustaining the abandonment of an agent for more than 2 decades, is morally reprehensible and shames all of Israel. Worse, their comportment has a damning effect on the Israeli government's crediblity in negotiations for another prison, whose release it claims to be trying to secure.