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ment in power and an unprecedente
number of Jews — Zionists, most of
Washington Correspondent
them — in high places in the foreign
et's get the toughest issue out policy establishment.
What has been a significant factor is
of the way first: Jonathan Jay
the rage of the intelligence and
Pollard, who is serving a life
sentence for spying for Israel, defense professionals in Washington, a
community with a Mafia-like code
probably should be paroled on
when it comes to turncoats.
humanitarian grounds. He has paid
To that influential community,
dearly for the crimes he committed as
which speaks with a loud and authori-
an impressionable, immature young
tative voice whenever the question of
man. He has been in prison since his
commutation comes up, Pollard has
arrest in 1985 and that is probably
enough time to satisfy the demands of never shown enough contrition.
Jonathan Pollard says he is not
justice.
seeking exoneration.
In recent weeks, the
Photo by AP
In recent interviews,
Israeli government has
he agrees that what
cranked up its efforts
he did was wrong and
on his behalf and
that there was no
mainstream Jewish
excuse for violating
groups are stirring on
the law. That, Wash-
the issue..Even many
ington observers say,
whose hearts have
is an important first
spurned Pollard's cause
step in winning his
are talking about
release.
mercy.
But too often,
That being said, it
there seems to be an
could be a long time
implied "but"
before Pollard goes
attached — an
free. Whether he does
attempt to explain his
or not will depend, to
thinking that Israel
a great degree, on how
was being endangered
effectively he addresses
by the refusal of offi-
the real reasons for his
Jonathan Pollard's freedom
cials here to provide
long incarceration —
may depend strongly on his
critical intelligence
and on how his sup-
supporters' crusade.
information.
porters conduct their
In some of his
crusade on his behalf.
public
communications,
he has sug-
There's no question Pollard has
been treated harshly; what is subject to gested that his case is less about his
own freedom than about whether
debate is why.
Israel has been treated fairly as an ally
Some Jewish groups, driven by a
— a claim that sounds a lot like an
paranoid brand of Zionism, contend
attempt to justify his deeds..
that Pollard's treatment was the result
The question of whether Israel was
of anti-Semitism, proof, in their eyes
unfairly denied vital intelligence infor-
that Jews can be safe nowhere but in
mation will be argued for decades.
Israel.
That doesn't alter the reality that no
From the beginning, they com-
administration is likely to let him out
pared his plight to the Dreyfus case in
as long as there is the perception that
France, forgetting the key fact that
he is trying to justify- his actions.
Alfred Dreyfus was innocent, while
Pollard's effort to get Israel to
Pollard confessed to his crimes.
Jewish watchdog groups have exam- acknowledge that he was, in fact, spy-
ing on its behalf, while understandable
ined the minutia of his case and con-
from a psychological point of view,
cluded that anti-Semitism was not a
may compound that problem.
factor in his conviction, sentencing or
There's no question this man was
treatment in prison.
misused by a country that made use of
Other supporters claim anti-Israel
his services, then abandoned him
animus as the cause; Pollard, they
argue, is being punished for the deeply when his arrest threatened a breach
between the two allies.
rooted dislike of Israel that they see
But Pollard's efforts, which have
throughout the U.S. government.
included
a suit before the Israeli High
That theory may have had some
Court
of
Justice intended to force offi-
resonance during the Reagan-Bush
cial recognition that his actions were
years, but it's hard to swallow today,
not just a rope operation, may
with a vehemently pro-Israel govern-
JAMES D. BESSER
L