This week from Israel

By Noga Gur-Arieh
Published on March 18, 2013

Mr. President: Commute Jonathan Pollard’s Sentence

By Rabbi John Rosove
Published on July 17, 2012

White House rejects plea for Pollard release

By Tom Tugend
Published on April 10, 2012

Israel and the world- weekly news from Israel

By Noga Gur-Arieh
Published on April 2, 2012

Jewish leaders meet Biden in Thanksgiving week appeal for Pollard

Published on November 22, 2011

Four drug dealers, a trafficker in stolen goods, a gambler and a turkey made President Obama’s Thanksgiving freedom list, but Israel’s best-known spy did not.

Pollard reportedly offered to spy for Australia

Published on September 20, 2011

Jonathan Pollard, the Jewish American jailed for spying for Israel, reportedly first offered classified information to Australia.

Jonathan Pollard has “urgent” surgery

Published on August 2, 2011

Convicted spy for Israel Jonathan Pollard was taken to a civilian hospital to undergo surgery.

McCain joins calls for Pollard release

Published on March 11, 2011

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is urging the release of Jonathan Pollard, the first active Republican politician to do so. McCain, the GOP presidential candidate in 2008, spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Thursday, according to a statement released by Netanyahu’s office and confirmed to JTA by McCain’s office.

White House confirms receipt of Pollard clemency letter

Published on January 6, 2011

President Obama has received a letter from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, requesting clemency for convicted spy-for-Israel Jonathan Pollard. "I think it is important to underscore that Mr. Pollard was convicted of some of the most serious crimes that anybody can be charged (with)," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters Wednesday “We have received the letter and will review it,” White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said. Neither spokesman said how long the review process would take and what steps were involved.

Bibi sends Obama letter requesting Pollard release

Published on January 4, 2011

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Neyanyahu wrote President Obama urging clemency for Jonathan Pollard. "At the time of his arrest, Jonathan Pollard was acting as an agent of the Israeli government," Netanyahu wrote in his letter, sent Tuesday. "Even though Israel was in no way directing its intelligence efforts against the United States, its actions were wrong and wholly unacceptable. Both Mr. Pollard and the Government of Israel have repeatedly expressed remorse for these actions, and Israel will continue to abide by its commitment that such wrongful actions will never be repeated." Netanyahu read his letter Tuesday evening to a Knesset plenum discussion. His letter, Israel's first formal request for Pollard's release, came a day after similar urgings from over 500 clergy in a letter to Obama.

Clergy, Bibi urge Pollard release

Published on January 4, 2011

More than 500 clergy signed a letter to President Obama urging clemency for Jonathan Pollard. The letter was delivered a day before Prime Minister Benjanim Netanyahu reportedly sent a letter to Obama issuing a formal clemency request. Netanyahu was scheduled to read his letter Tuesday evening to a Knesset plenum discussion. "After more than two and a half decades in prison, Mr. Pollard's health is declining," reads the letter sent Monday from rabbis representing all streams, as well as a number of leading Protestant and Roman Catholic clergy. "He has repeatedly expressed remorse for his actions, and by all accounts has served as a model inmate. Commuting his sentence to time served would be a wholly appropriate exercise of your power of clemency -- as well as a matter of basic fairness and American justice. It would also represent a clear sense of compassion and reconciliation -- a sign of hope much needed in today's world of tension and turmoil."

Timing, noodging advance new push for Jonathan Pollard

Published on November 22, 2010

A combination of timing, diplomatic considerations and, above all, good old-fashioned noodging has culminated in the biggest push in years to free Jonathan Pollard.

VIDEO: Joe Biden tells ShalomTV ‘I am a Zionist’

Published on August 23, 2008

In an April 2007 interview, Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) declares "I am a Zionist' and discusses his support for Israel.

Justice for Jonathan Pollard

Published on June 19, 1997

The argument that Pollard was a spy, and that is all that matters, may be legally valid, but it is not morally valid.