Posted on 06/24/2011 2:04:03 AM PDT by Eleutheria5
In the wake of the recent growing calls to release Jonathan Pollard, Attorney Marc Zell, co-chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition chapter in Israel, claimed surprisingly on Thursday that there are other American Jews who do not support Pollard’s release.
He did not claim his views are the policy of the Republican party.
“As an Israeli Jew I’m obviously sorry he’s still in prison, but as an American Republican and an American citizen I do not support Pollard’s release,” Zell told Arutz Sheva’s Hebrew-language news service. “Knowing the issues inside out and knowing the background, what he did was very serious. I’m sorry he did what he did and hurt the interests of the United States, but I understand the White House.”
Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Executive Vice President of the National Council of Young Israel and a long-time activist on behalf of Pollard, disagreed strongly with Zell’s statements, saying that “Marc Zell’s comments might have been true 15 years ago.”
Rabbi Lerner explained that while it was in fact argued for years that Pollard had caused terrible damage that cannot be disclosed, these claims have become baseless after those who were most opposed to Pollard’s release have called for his immediate release.
Lerner was referring to well known individuals such as former Vice President Dan Quayle, U.S. Middle East negotiator Dennis Ross, former CIA director James Woolsey, former Secretary of State George Shultz, and even Senator John McCain (once vehemently opposed to the idea), all of whom have publicly supported Pollard’s release.
Zell, however, said that while he understands the struggle of Israeli politicians for Pollard’s release, he would rather tell what he feels is the truth about the case.
(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...
“I understand the White House and it’s not just Obama,” he added. “Every administration since Pollard’s arrest in 1985 has treated this case similarly. There’s a clear message there.”
He claimed that it is possible that Pollard would never be released.
“It’s quite possible,” he said. “My heart is with all those who wish for humane reasons that he be released, but there are things I know that go beyond the humane side. I spoke to officials in Washington, some of them are Jews who are supporters of Israel, and they say that what Pollard did is very serious. I cannot describe the anger that still exists about what he did.”
Zell also claimed that other American Jews oppose Pollard’s release.
“I cannot begin to describe the anger. There are many reasons. First of all he hurt American interests, but Jews are opposed to his release because they are angry that he hurt the status of American Jews in the eyes of the American public and administration.”
Other officials involved in the campaign for Pollard’s release also rejected Zell’s claims, and noted that particularly in light of this week’s events, when the U.S. Administration refused to allow Pollard to attend his father’s funeral, there has been an increase in the support for him among American Jews.
“Several months ago hundreds of Orthodox, Conservative and Reform leaders signed a letter calling on President Obama to free Pollard, but now there is an even bigger rage against his imprisonment,” the officials said.
They added, “Indeed, there was once great anger towards Pollard by Jews who had to suddenly deal with a case where there is a conflict between loyalty to Israel and loyalty to the United States, but today, when government ministers, heads of the judicial system and top security officials in the United States have already agreed that Pollard’s sentence is disproportionate and unjust , it is clear to everyone that this tragedy has to end.”
Had Pollard realized all his plans, not just the US might be in dire straits, but Israel itself might have been a smoking hole courtesy of Red China and/or other (non-US) entities.
What about equal justice under the law? People of good conscience should call for the release of Jonathan Pollard, who has served far longer a sentence that his sharing with Israel of information about Iraq, Iran, Syria and Libya’s offensive nuclear buildup. This is information that the U.S. had promised to share with Israel. Jonathan Pollard’s sentence of life in prison was hugely excessive and absurd and draconian. He shared information with the U.S.’ best friend, information about nuclear weapons against the West by rogue countries, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, information that helped save countless lives. Those who shared secrets with America’s enemies in hopes of weakening the West (as contrasted with Pollard, who shared information that the U.S. should have shared with U.S. allies) have been given sentences that average 4-5 years. The treatment of Jonathan Pollard has been a travesty of justice and all those involved will be remembered for their cowardice in not correcting the injustice. Jonathan Pollard should have been freed long ago. The principle that is being abused is equal justice under the law.
1. He also shared information with the Soviet Union, Pakistan, and Red China, as well as South Africa and Australia.
2. Aldritch and other turncoats are serving similar sentences; life in solitary.
3. We’ve already beat the issue to death on other threads, and I was originally more sympathetic, but having listened to what both sides have to say, I’m persuaded that he got what he deserved.
Jonathan Pollard is the only person in the history of the United States to receive a life sentence for spying for an American ally. The difference between Pollard and Aldrich Aimes is discussed below:
On November 21, 2010, Pollard entered the 26th year of his life sentence, with no end in sight.
The maximum sentence today for such an offence is 10 years.
The median sentence for this offence is 2 to 4 years.
http://www.jonathanpollard.org/sentences.htm
Name Spied For Sentence/Punishment Time Served
Before Release*
Jonathan Pollard Israel Life imprisonment
Michael Schwartz Saudi Arabia Discharged from Navy No time served.
Peter Lee China† 1 year in halfway house No jail time.
Ronald Montaperto China 3 months
Xiaodong Sheldon Meng China 2 years
Samuel Morison Great Britain 2 years 3 months
Phillip Selden El Salvador 2 years
Sharon Scranage Ghana 5 years; reduced to 2 years 8 months
Steven Baba South Africa 8 years; reduced to 2 years 5 months
Jean Baynes Phillipines 3 years and 5 months 1 year and 3 months
Geneva Jones Liberia 3 years and 1 month
Frederick Hamilton Ecuador 3 years and 1 month
J. Reece Roth China and Iran 4 years
Abdul Kader Helmy Egypt 4 years 2 years
Joseph Brown Phillipines 6 years
Michael Ray Aquino Phillipines 6 years and 4 months
Michael Allen Phillipines 8 years
Robert Kim South Korea 9 years 7 years
Leandro Aragoncillo Phillipines 10 years
Thomas Dolce South Africa 10 years 5.2 years
Steven Lalas Greece 14 years
* Time served before release is shown where known. Other cases of early release exist.
† U.S. government foreign policy deems China to be an American ally.
Table II: American Enemies
Jonathan Pollard spied for an American ally. This chart shows that Pollard’s life sentence is far harsher than most of the sentences received by those who spied for enemies, and thereby committed much more serious offences and treason.
Name Spied For Sentence Time Served
Before Release†
Alberto Coll Cuba 1 year
Mohammad Reza Alavi Iran 15 months
James Wood Soviet Union 2 years
Sahag Dedyan Soviet Union 3 years
Elsa Alvarez Cuba 3 years
Randy Jeffries Soviet Union 3-9 years
Amarylis Santos Cuba 3½ years
Joseph Santos Cuba 4 years
Carlos Alvarez Cuba 5 years
Mariano Faget Cuba 5 years
Brian Horton Soviet Union 6 years
Alejandro Alonso Cuba 7 years
William Bell Poland 8 years
Alfred Zoho East Germany 8 years
Nikolay Ogarodnikova Soviet Union 8 years
Hassan Abu-Jihaad Al-Qaida 10 years
Francis X. Pizzo Soviet Union 10 years
Daniel Richardson Soviet Union 10 years
Ernst Forbich East Germany 15 years
William Whalen Soviet Union 15 years
Edwin Moore Soviet Union 15 years
Troung Dinh Ung North Vietnam 15 years
Ronald Humphrey North Vietnam 15 years
Kurt Alan Stand East Germany 17½ years
Robert Lipka Soviet Union 18 years
David Barnett Soviet Union 18 years
Svetlana Ogarodnikova Soviet Union 18 years
Albert Sombolay Iraq & Jordan 19 years
Richard Miller Soviet Union 20 years 6 years
Theresa Maria Squillacote East Germany 21.8 years
Sarkis Paskallan Soviet Union 22 years
Harold Nicholson Soviet Union 23 years
David Boone Soviet Union 24 years
Ana Belen Montes Cuba 25 years
Clayton Lonetree Soviet Union 25 years 9 years
Michael Walker Soviet Union 25 years 15 years
Bruce Ott Soviet Union 25 years
Kelly Warren Hungary &
Czechoslovakia 25 years
Earl Pitts Soviet Union 27 years
H.W. Boachanhaupi Soviet Union 30 years
Roderick Ramsay Hungary &
Czechoslovakia 36 years
James Hall Soviet Union
& East Germany 40 years
Christopher Boyce Soviet Union 40 years
William Kampiles Soviet Union 40 years 19 years
Veldik Enger Soviet Union 50 years
R.P. Charnyayev Soviet Union 50 years
Marian Zacharski Poland Life 4 years
Aldrich Ames Soviet Union Life
Robert Hanssen Soviet Union Life
* Time served before release is shown where known. Other cases of early release exist.
Aldrich Ames: A Case In Point
Aldrich Ames who spied for an enemy nation (the Soviet Union), committed treason, and was responsible for the deaths of at least 11 American agents, received the same sentence as Jonathan Pollard. Pollard’s only indictment was one count of passing classified information to an ally. Pollard spent 7 years in solitary confinement, in the harshest unit of the harshest prison in the Federal system - FCI Marion.
Aldrich Ames’ treatment was far more benign, and (except for a relatively short period of time during debriefing) did not include the rigours of long years of solitary; nor was he ever subjected to the harsh conditions of “K” Unit at Marion - even though his offence was far more serious.
See Also:
The Unequal Justice Page
The Attorneys’ Comparative Sentence Chart
p.s. Bill Clinton was big into “sharing” U.S. military and technology secrets with Red China.
He should have done the hemp dance long ago.
What about the rest of the people on the two lists?
Jonathan Pollard is the only person in the history of the United States to receive a life sentence for spying for an American ally
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
A spy is a spy.
It is not his ‘decision’ on whom data should be shared with.
Granted, I may have missed them in your listing, but as far as I can tell (and am willing to look) SPIES Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are conspicuously absent from your list of ‘victims’ and how do you mention SPY Michael Walker (whose sentence was shortened) because his SPY father John Walker cut a deal.
How do you leave the Walker SPY ‘family’ off the list?
Ah, I see it is not your list.
Whether or not you have ever held a security clearance is moot BUT you apparently don’t realize the ‘responsibility’ that goes with it.
IMNSHO, rope and or firing squad should be the ONLY punishment for such treasonous acts.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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Pollard also spied for the Soviets. He also spied for Pakistan. He also spied for Red China, all enemies.
Finally, we beat the issue to death already on other threads. I’m blowing further discussion off. I might not even post further articles on Pollard. Everyone else can do as they wish.
Your double standard is showing. You seem indifferent to the short sentences of all the rest of the people of the lists who actually did give information to their countries’ enemies. One can only conclude serious bias or that a Freeper has blinded himself to Casper Weinberger’s gross exaggerations and untrue claims on this subject and their railroading of Pollard.
But Pollard took money from his handlers for doing the job and his ex-wife got expensive jewelry.
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Now the "good cop bad cop act" resurrected by propagandist Zell is getting stale. He needs to be kicked out of the party.
We do not allow hyphenates in our party. Either you are a full-fledged American or you're not.
Hyphenating yourself raises a huge red flag-----indicates a hidden separatist agenda.
Additionally, since 'our best friend' Israel was paying him to spy, from the day of Pollard's conviction THEY should have been permanently cut off from every penny of 'aid' and/or 'sharing' of our technology.
Furthermore, the Pollard incident taught Israel nothing. Even during Bush's years in office Israel was caught selling the technology we gave them to OUR ENEMIES. It got to where the State Department, under Condi Rice, had to put sanctions on Israel.
The bottom line is: 'Friends' do NOT spy on friends.
And FWIW, I don't give a 'carp' what Clinton gave or sold to China.
This AIN'T about Clinton, it's about a TRAITOR and CONVICTED SPY!
His first wife was rewarded for helping the spy scheme.
She got off scot-free--claiming she had a stomach ailment.
She divorced him. I believe he remarried in jail.
Nauseating to think someone would actually have sex with this creep.
There's also a pic somewhere of these two scumbags at the WH---yes, the WH----when he worked for the US govt.
Now why doesn't that surprise me?
Maybe because he was 'special' (sort of like Richard Perle, only poorer).
The unmitigated gall of these two scumbags---all dolled up, rubbing shoulders with top govt officials.
Two traitors partying in the WH who were stealing and thieving for a foreign govt....imperiling US citizens and our national security.
This venal scum should never breathe free US air ever again.
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