Hamodia: Thousands at Free Pollard Rally At U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv

Hamodia Staff - Hamodia [NY] - February 24, 2014

The Israeli agent's wife, Esther Pollard, addressed the crowd, which was chanting "free Pollard now" and "enough is enough."

"Today, after nearly 30 years [that Pollard sits] in prison, there is no one who does not know that Jonathan's life sentence is grossly disproportionate and unjust," she said.

"Indeed, many senior American officials are now calling for Jonathan's release as a matter of simple justice, and as a humanitarian issue."

"In Israel there is wall-to-wall consensus: The nation wants Jonathan home, now," she added, echoing the demonstrators' chants.

Representing that consensus were members of Likud, Yisrael Beitenu, Labor, Yesh Atid and Jewish Home.

Chairman of the Knesset Caucus for Jonathan Pollard's Release, Nachman Shai (Labor), cited the petition signed by 106 of 120 MKs calling for Pollard's release. No other cause has so united the Knesset, he said.

"[U.S. President Barack Obama] is not an enemy of Israel, so we ask him: It's been almost 30 years already. Let him go. Show human sympathy for Pollard. We won't stop making this demand until he is free," Shai declared.

"It doesn't look good, Mr. Obama, that only the Jew has been kept in jail for such a long time," MK Moshe Feiglin (Likud) said.

Mrs. Pollard commented that "the Americans are leaning heavily on Israel. They demand that Israel make painful gestures to our enemies. Israel keeps on bending over backwards to respond positively to the American demands."

"How is it that in spite of all the gestures that Israel is making at the request of the U.S., the Americans are not willing to make the smallest, most minimal gesture towards Israel, the release of one prisoner?" she asked. "We are talking about a prisoner who never murdered anyone and never hurt anyone."

Pollard added: "If Israel cannot rely upon the U.S. to deal fairly with one Israeli agent, how can we rely them for the fate and future of all of Israel?"

She concluded with a personal note of thanks to her husband: "Thank you for forgiving us over and over and over again. We waited too long. We did too little. Now we know, Jonathan, what they did to you, was not done just to you, but to all of us. It took us a long time, but we have opened our eyes and can finally see the truth.

We love you too, Jonathan. And we want you home.

This is the month of Adar. A month of turnabout - V'Na'aphochu.

May G-d open the ears of the American administration and grant them the wisdom and insight to finally, finally do the right and just thing: Send Jonathan Pollard home now. Amen!"

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