Israel – Interior Minister Eli Yishai delivered a message from Shas mentor Rabbi Ovadia Yosef to US ambassador James Cunningham on Thursday, urging him to persuade US president Barack Obama to commute the life sentence of Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard.
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The rabbi wrote the president that Pollard’s case was one of Pikuach Nefesh (saving a life) and that he should release him as a “humanitarian gesture.”
Yishai delivered the message at a party at Cunningham’s residence held in honor of US Independence Day. While some MKs boycotted the event to protest Pollard not being allowed to attend his father’s funeral, there were no provocations on Pollard’s behalf from anyone who did attend.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke at the US Independence day event in Herzliya, thanking the United States for its “diplomatic, moral and military support” of Israel over the years.
Netanyahu praised Obama for his continued insistence that negotiations are the only way to bring about peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
WOW, so what is new that R.OY feels it is time to speak out ..on Piecuach Nefesh…
Unfortunately, given the extent of Pollard’s crimes against the US, even though he was only convicted for spying for Israel (other crimes were not brought up in court) I doubt he will be let out before he is elderly and feeble.
There are those within the intelligence community that have said that he put the US back years in some areas. In other words he revealed secret techniques that took the US about 20 years to develop.
There are some very frum respected Haimisha yidden that have access to some of this information have told me this. I work in a different area and thus don’t have access to this type of information.
I’m impressed that JoshB has anonymous information which contradicts that of so many defense and intelligence leaders and politicians, with security clearance, who have called for Pollard’s release. JoshB has done us all a great service by teaching us how to judge this man, who has spent more than a quarter century in a maximum security prison, in a negative light.
Thanks, JoshB.