Posted on 01/16/2006 8:10:56 PM PST by Howlin
Edited on 01/16/2006 8:30:39 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
JERUSALEM, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Israel's high court ruled Monday against convicted spy Jonathan Pollard's request to be deemed a prisoner of Zion and repatriated from the United States.
Pollard, a civilian U.S. Naval intelligence analyst pleaded guilty to espionage on June 4, 1986, and received a life sentence and a recommendation that he never be paroled.
He was granted Israeli citizenship in 1996 after Israel recognized his status as a spy and pledged to fund his legal expenses, the Jerusalem Post reported.
However, in court the government argued that Pollard cannot be granted the status because Zionist organizations and activities are not banned under U.S. law.
Pollard's wife, Esther, told Army Radio she found it "unbelievable" that Israel would work to release killers in other countries but let Pollard stay in prison.
We can send him back and keep the tens of billions of dollars worth of defense aid we send them every year.
Ping...
You don't want to defend Israel? Pat - is that you?
Ping.
wow, I messed this post up big time!
It looks fine; what did you do?
too many links
here is some more:
The High Court of Justice on Monday rejected Jonathan Pollard's petition to be recognized as a Prisoner of Zion on the grounds that he was jailed by US authorities for spying against his country and not for conducting Zionist activity in a country where such activity is prohibited.
Pollard, who was represented by attorney Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, first applied to the Prisoners of Zion Authority in the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption on May 10, 2004. After the authority and a subsequent appeals committee rejected his request, he petitioned the High Court of Justice.
On Monday, after publication of the High Court verdict, Darshan-Leitner told The Jerusalem Post that "after Pollard had been abandoned by the executive and legislative branches of government, she had hoped the judicial branch would do the right thing. But the court preferred to shut its eyes and do nothing."
According to the Law of Benefits for Prisoners of Zion and Their Families, which established the Prisoners of Zion Authority, anyone designated a Prisoner of Zion, or members of his family, is entitled to financial compensation. But Darshan-Leitner said Pollard had asked to be recognized as a Prisoner of Zion to improve his prison circumstances and help get him out of jail altogether.
"If he were declared a Prisoner of Zion, the US and Israel would do everything to get him released because neither country would want to be responsible for a Prisoner of Zion being in jail," she said. "Furthermore, it would stop jailers from tormenting and torturing him as they are doing now."
But the court ruled that from a legal point of view, there was nothing it could do. According to the law, a Prisoner of Zion is defined as someone who was imprisoned "because of his Zionist activity in a country where such activity was illegal."
Supreme Court President Aharon Barak, defined "Zionist activity" as activity "which would be considered legitimate in most countries of the world. Typical Zionist activity would include identifying with the State of Israel and its cultural contents such as teaching Hebrew and encouraging aliya."
Someone incarcerated for such activities would be eligible for Prisoner of Zion status, explained Barak.
But spying for Israel does not belong to this category of activities, said Barak.
"It cannot be said that an act of espionage on behalf of Israel constitutes Zionist activity 'in a country where Zionist activity is prohibited,'" he wrote. "The act of spying, including spying for Israel, is prohibited in the US as it is in all countries."
This is good.
Sorry for finding it offensive when a counrty that exists because of American taxpayers hires our citizens to spy and us and then grants that person citizenship. Not to mention what our "allies" did to the USS Liberty with the jets we gave them. What has Israel ever done for the U.S.?
Ping.
Aren't you the fool.
This is GREAT!
I think I'll drive over tomorrow and blow the horn outside Butner.............LOL>
Wow, you just keep showing how ignorant you are.
Israelis are big enough to defend themselves.
PJB is that you?
Just someone who realize that Israel does not care about U.S. interests other than the aid we give them., and that our country has gone through a lot of troublke for them and gets slapped in the face for it.
She wanted the $$$, ya know?
Like I said, ignorant.
"SHOW ME THE MONEY!", exclaimed Esther.
After listening to some people no this very forum use this issue to blast Israel, this is VERY good.
How old are you? I'm glad you're not a friend because someone who doesn't understand the word ally isn't someone I would want to know.
You actually wrote that. Maybe you said it but I couldn't hear you. Why was Israel spying on us and why did they share some of the intel provided by Pollard with the Chinese.
They need to fix their PoZ law before they can pull that trick.
All convicted spies should be treated the same. IMO, that should be execution, but that's just my POV.
I would come up to Massachusetts but I heard Teddy might be on the freeway.
I will Machiavelli good offer.
Absolutely. It goes without saying that Israel is surrounded by countries that seek to wipe it off the face of the map.
Sounds like about 16.
I wish we'd just execute him. He's a traitor.
"Ally"? Like an ally who spies on you?
I really don't care that much that Israel used spies against us despite ostensibly being our closest ally. I do care that this guy doesn't get a break for it, because the day we start saying "Well...... if you endanger our national security for a country with a really powerful lobbying group, we'll let you out early" is the day national security vanishes completely. You want to spy for Israel? Fine. You get the exact same treatment as if you were spying for the Chicoms or Russia.
No I wouldn't. But do you realize that you are basically justifying the killing of American service people. Maybe they were giving the enemy intel. I would have no way of knowing. But I am an American, not an Israeli. And I will always sie with our interests rather than Israel's interests.
I also don't want people to think I'm like Iran's president or something. I just feel that Israel has taken advantage of the U.S. at times at our expense; e.g. the Liberty incident and the Pollard incident. They even tried to strong arm Slick Willy into freeing Pollard in order for Israel to back the peace plan. Not giving in was one of Clinton's better moments.
If Pollard had donated to Clinton, what his family has paid in attorney fees, he would have been pardoned.
I've never seen anyone on FR advocate for this spy to be ignored or released. Ever.
And if you think we don't spy on Israel, you're wrong.
Did you THIS article?
They even tried to strong arm Slick Willy into freeing Pollard in order for Israel to back the peace plan.
They tried because he was such a putz.
Not giving in was one of Clinton's better moments.
Like he did that out of caring for this country.
It is a troubling matter.
I still support Israel.
Call me superstitious.
Genesis 12:3
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
The fact that even an unprincipled, mentally dysfunctional sh!t like Bill Clinton wouldn't grant a pardon to Pollard ought to tell you something.
I know you don't really justify the attack an that you want what is best for America. I just wanted to make a point. I also don't think we should stand against Israel. I actually think we should stand with them for the most part. I just get frustrated when people act as if Israel can do no wrong and that the U.S. should support all of their policies.
Some people in this country and on FR seem to think U.S. and Israeli intersts are the same thing, but they are not. It is insulting the way Israel has acted as if we have wronged them by arresting this traitor. Pollard should be thankful he wasn't executed like countless other spies captured by America in the past.
It's pretty surreal seeing and hearing biblical references from that from people here in the U.S., who give these Old Testament citations far more weight than most Israelis do.
One Jew = an idea.
Two Jews = an arguement
Three Jews = a Revolution.
Israel= A conundrum for the world.
Gosh, after reading this thread I really should be regretting all of those religion courses that I took back in the 70s.
What's that supposed to mean? He is a treasonous traitor to the US and he should be executed, not thrown a parade.
Who said anything about a parade? What's your problem?
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