Convicted American-Israeli spy says Israel missed several opportunities to bring him back


NOTE: Please view the video on the original article. This video includes an excellent analysis by a legal expert. Pollard DID NOT violate the terms of his parole, but the expert is correct on everything else.

i24NEWS - May 21, 2019

Pollard spent nearly 30 years in jail after being convicted of giving Israel thousands of classified documents.

Former American-Israeli spy, Jonathan Pollard, who spent 30 years in jail in the United States after being convicted of giving Israel thousands of classified documents, told Channel 12 on Tuesday that the Israeli government missed several opportunities to bring him back.

When asked if he expected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the possibility with US President Donald Trump of bringing him back to Israel, Pollard said:

"There have been numerous occasions where this could have been done. It's a question of priorities. And there always seems to be something else. Whether it's the Iran deal, the US embassy move to Jerusalem or recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights; there is always something. To make me a priority, would mean that the (Israeli) government actually cared about me," Pollard said.

Netanyahu's office later issued a statement, saying: "Israel remains committed to returning Jonathan Pollard to Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu has raised the matter many times with the US president and will continue doing so until he is returned."

Pollard was released in 2015 on parole after nearly thirty years from the facility in Butner, North Carolina, where he has been serving a life sentence.

Despite his harsh criticism of the Israeli governments lack of efforts to bring him back, Pollard hasn't lost his faith.

"If I didn't believe in God I'd be very depressed right now," he said.