Text: Rep. Anthony Weiner's Passover Letter to President Obama to release Pollard

Justice4JPnews - April 23, 2011

April 22, 2011

President Barack Obama The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President,

As Pesach, the holiday of freedom, comes to a close, I urge you to use your constitutional power to commute the sentence of Jonathan Pollard and allow him to join his family in Israel. This exercise in justice is not meant to imply doubt about his guilt or cast any aspersions on the process by which he was convicted. On the contrary, Mr. Pollard knows that he has committed serious crimes and after 26 years, stands as the strongest deterrent to espionage in this country. However, his charges do not merit the punishment.

It is indisputable that the disproportionate amount of time that Mr. Pollard spent in prison is a thorn in the side of the alliance between Israel and the United States. Mr. Pollard cooperated with investigators, admitted his wrongdoing, and was sentenced to life in prison. No one who has ever pleaded guilty to a similar crime has ever been sentenced to a life term.

Commuting Mr. Pollard's sentence will be viewed as an act of compassion on behalf of the United States and between two allies. Mr. President, please do what former President Bush has repeatedly refused and heed the countless calls for Pollard's freedom during this Passover season.

I thank you for your time and consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

ANTHONY D. WEINER
Member of Congress