Posted on 12/27/2013 11:47:49 AM PST by cll
United States Secretary of State John Kerry has offered Israel the release of Jonathan Pollard, Channel 10 News reported on Friday.
According to the report, Kerry’s offer was made as part of the discussions surrounding the upcoming planned release of 26 terrorists from Israeli jails as a “gesture” to Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Kol Yisrael radio, which also reported about Kerry’s offer, said it relates to the fourth stage of the terrorist release and is conditional upon Israel agreeing to release Israeli Arabs who have committed acts of terrorism.
Israeli officials were quoted by both outlets as having said that they believe the idea has not been cleared with President Barack Obama and as such were doubtful that the offer would actually be implemented.
Pollard’s release has been tied in the past week with recent revelations by documents leaked by Edward Snowden that the United States conducted surveillance on Israeli leaders.
(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...
1) Agreed. A spy works for his nation, and may sometimes be considered a soldier, by other means. I consider Pollard to be a traitor, hence my harsh opinion, of him. 2) Pollard is a hero in Israel, they are doing what they think they need to, on his behalf. While I care about Israel, The State of Israel is not the 51st State of The U.S. 3)I’m sure the current administration would grant everything that I consider to be sacred, to those who would not be worthy :(
Thanks for your reply.
Agreed. Thanks.
If you let 26 terrorists go we’ll send you an American traitor.
What do we get out of this?
I would release Pollard only if Israel DID NOT release Islamic Terrorists
Problem is that a lot of folks who want to keep Pollard in jail are big supporters of Free Trade with Communist China....which is pretty hypocritical supporting Communism while supporting jailing someone for indirectly aiding Commies.
If his words had credibility then ... they have just as much credibility now. And he has gone on the record very many times in the last decade calling for Pollard’s release.
So enough to fill a thumb drive with enough space left over for the new Miley CD on MP3?
Can we send them Jackson Pollack instead?
more than just a little surprised our vaunted overpriced intelligence apperatus hasn’t really thrown up the dirt they really have on obammy inc after all the crap they’ve tried to lay on them.
On the final day of the negotiations, the agreement almost fell through. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked President Bill Clinton to release Jonathan Pollard, an American naval intelligence officer who has been serving a life sentence since 1985 for giving classified information to Israel. A bitter disagreement arose, with Netanyahu claiming that Clinton had promised to release Pollard, and Clinton saying he had only promised to “review” the case. It was also reported that then director of the CIA George Tenet had threatened to resign if Pollard was released.
Why should Israel believe Kerry? Originally Israel was guaranteed that info like Pollard gave them was intel the USA was obligated to give Israel. Sadam Hussein was developing nukes to bomb Israel and we didn’t share this with Israel like we agreed to do.
A lot of history of not honoring our word to our ally Israel
and now we find them not trusting us, I wonder why?
Israel released about ONE THOUSAND TERRORISTS to get back just ONE ISRAELI SOLDIER.
I really don’t think you’re going to see Israel changing that procedure, any time.
The deal for the release of Israeli-held Islamic Terrorists was made in connection with getting the peace process going again. That deal was already “in the works”.
NSA spying revelations boost calls for Pollard’s release
http://www.jta.org/2013/12/23/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/snowden-revelations-boost-calls-for-pollards-release
TEL AVIV (JTA) — The disclosure last week that American intelligence spied on former Israeli prime ministers has given new momentum to the effort to secure a pardon for convicted spy Jonathan Pollard.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several leading members of Knesset members have called in recent days for Pollard’s release following reports that documents leaked by former defense contractor Edward Snowden showed U.S. intelligence had targeted the email addresses of Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert.
Pollard’s case “isn’t disconnected from the U.S. spying on Israel,” Nachman Shai, the co-chair of the Knesset caucus to free Pollard, told JTA. “It turns out, it’s part of life. And what he did is a part of life.”
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein accused the United States of “hypocrisy” for holding Pollard, who as a civilian U.S. Navy analyst spied on the United States for Israel, even as it spied on Israeli leaders. Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz said he wants the Israeli government to demand Pollard’s release and insist the United States cease its espionage operations in Israel. And opposition leader Isaac Herzog said Pollard’s punishment “has long passed the limits of sensibility.”
“We hope that the conditions will be created that will enable us to bring Jonathan home,” Netanyahu said Sunday at the Israeli Cabinet’s weekly meeting. “This is neither conditional on, nor related to, recent events, even though we have given our opinion on these developments.”
When Pollard’s crimes first came to light in the mid-1980s, his activities seemed like a major act of betrayal given the close alliance between Israel and the United States. But the Snowden revelations show that spying by the United States and Israel was a two-way affair, prompting a new round of calls for the release of Pollard.
Support for freeing Pollard represents a rare point of consensus in Israeli politics, with 100 Knesset members among the 120 signing a letter asking Obama to release Pollard, according to Shai. Eighty members signed a similar letter last year.
Sure, most airlines have very good rates for air freight coffins, that’s the only way Pollard should be going anywhere
The deal, which Israel will turn down, is complete capitulation on the “peace deal.” Probably a return to the pre-1967 borders, etc.
Tell that to the marines in Beiruit that didn’t get the memo from Mossad.
Bibi wants Pollard back in Texas? Who knew.
Examples? Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks.
So what do we get out of the “offer” to give them Pollard?
The last time a democrat pol offered Johathan Pollard to Israel for massive concessions, he reneged at the last minute after Arafat already accepted the deal. Clinton at Wye River. Kerry’s no better.
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