The senstense may be disproportionate, but Rubashin is a shondes. Those people trying to help him may as well be antisemites or Iranian agents. There is nothing to be gained helping this SOB and we have only so much moral capital. Given that Iran is building a bomb, wasting it on this man is the equivalent of murdering Israelis. Those Jewish leaders supporting Rubashin and the Pollard brigade are too stupid to look beyond there own nose.
We agree, the sentencing request is disproportionate. None of that other stuff matters. I’m no fan of the guy, and recall taking a lump or two for my criticism at the time, but this stuff isn’t relevant when it comes to how long he’s behind bars. American’s don’t require disproportionate punishment for a Jewish criminal as a condition of supporting, or not supporting, Israel.
Your hatred of Rubashkin is perplexing and uncharacteristic of the thoughtful words you have posted here for years.
This man was a vice president of the largest kosher meat processing company in the United States, distributing reliably kosher meat throughout the country. He was prosecuted based upon false certifications made to a bank under a contract and now prosecutors are asking the judge to sentence him to jail for the rest of his life. The only sentence in American jurisprudence that is worse is the death sentence and that is under broad attack.
Again, I am not arguing the innocence of Sholom Rubashkin. I think that the requested sentence is grossly disproportionate and that a terrible injustice would be done if he were to receive that sentence.