Response to Hillary Clinton’s remarks on Pollard
From J4JP & The Committee to Bring Jonathan Pollard Home
For Immediate Release: July 17, 2012

ISRAEL IS STILL REELING FROM THE SLAP

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s remarks in Jerusalem yesterday,
indicating that there is no expectation that the U.S. will release Jonathan
Pollard after an unprecedented 27 years in prison, stunned her Israeli hosts
and marred the warm reception she received from the Israeli public.

Incredibly, the U.S. Secretary of State did not offer any explanation as to
why the U.S. wants to keep the aging and very ill Pollard in prison forever.
She simply replied that Pollard was “sentenced to life in prison” and is
“serving that sentence.”

In what can only be regarded as unmitigated gall, while deflecting Israel’s
requests for the release of Pollard, Mrs. Clinton pressed Prime Minister
Netanyahu and President Peres to release of a number of convicted murderers
and terrorists to the Palestinian Authority, who she also said were
“sentenced to life in prison ” and are “serving that sentence.”

CLINTON IS NOT THE DECISION MAKER, OBAMA IS

As official US policy, Clinton’s remarks represent a resounding slap in the
face, to President Peres, to Prime Minister Netanyahu, and to the People of
Israel.

Her remarks are also an affront to the American people, to the numerous
Senior American officials and U.S. elected representatives who are calling
for Pollard’s release; to the American
Jewish community and its leaders; and to honest people around the world who
care about justice for Pollard.

However, Clinton is not the decision maker. President Obama is, and he still
owes an official response to the numerous formal requests for Jonathan
Pollard’s release which he has received over the last 2 years.

As long as no response is forthcoming from the president, there is a
disturbing sense that the U.S. is simply ignoring the compelling and urgent
issues of this case.

NO CONCERN FOR JUSTICE OR COMPASSION

Extrapolating what appears to be the current U.S. position on the Pollard
case from Clinton’s remarks, it seems that the values of justice and
compassion are of absolutely no concern to the Obama Administration.

Issues that the Obama Administration continues to ignore include:

• Pollard’s grossly disproportionate sentence

• Pollard’s failing health

• Calls by former CIA Director for Pollard’s release

• Calls by former Secretaries of State Kissinger and Shultz for Pollard’s
release

• Calls by Heads of Senate Intelligence Committee for Pollard’s release

• Anti-Semitism as a factor in sentencing (revealed by McFarlane, Korb
etc)

• Anti-Semitism as a factor in keeping Pollard in prison (revealed by
Woolsey etc)

• Calls by U.S. senior judicial officials to right the Pollard “travesty
of justice”

• Bipartisan calls by members of the House and Senate for Pollard’s
release

• President Peres repeated formal appeals to President Obama

• Prime Minister Netanyahu’s repeated formal appeals to President Obama

• Appeals to Obama by senior American security officials

• Appeals to Obama by leaders of all the Jewish religious streams

• Interfaith appeals by Clergy and Religious Leaders of all denominations

• Private appeals to Pres. Obama by donors, supporters, seekers of
justice

• Urgency: all of Pollard’s legal avenues of relief have been exhausted

It should be noted that in 2000 while campaigning for the US Senate, Hillary
Clinton stated said she had concerns about “due process issues regarding
Jonathan Pollard’s sentence.”

What happened to those concerns? Surely the passage of another 12 years in
prison since 2000 have done nothing to allay concerns that there is
something radically wrong with Pollard’s sentence.

Clinton’s public rebuff of Israel’s urgent humanitarian appeal to the U.S.
to save Pollard’s life flies in the face of the public statements she made
on this trip, reaffirming the unbreakable ties and strong friendship between
the two countries.

It is incumbent upon President Obama, in support of the US- Israel special
relationship and in support of our shared values of justice and compassion
to respond favorably and expeditiously to the numerous requests for Jonathan
Pollard’s immediate release.

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