Insight
•
Ideas & Issues
Of Justice And Mercy
Temple Emanu-El senior group considers Pollard case.
DIANA LIEBERMAN
Staff Writer
N
o one gathered in Temple
Emanu-El's social hall
Sunday afternoon was par-
ticularly anxious to see
Jonathan Pollard spend the
rest of his life in prison.
During a panel discussion
on the fate of the convicted
spy, even Jeffrey Hadden, who
characterized the life sentence
as harsh but within the law,
said he would not be out
marching with a placard" if
Pollard was set free.
A former civilian analyst for
the U.S. Navy, Pollard
received a life sentence for
providing Israel with top-
secret American defense docu-
ments. The three panelists did
not debate his guilt or inno-
cence.
Instead, they focused on
whether justice was served in
his sentence and subsequent
treatment, and what should be
done about the case at this
point.
The issue is not whether
Pollard broke the law or
embarrassed American Jews,
said Margot Gardner of
Bloomfield Township, a mem-
ber of the international advo-
cacy group, Citizens for
Justice for Jonathan Pollard.
"Even a serial killer has the
right to a fair trial in America's
courts," Gardner said, "and
Jonathan Pollard was denied
that right."
Hadden, deputy director of
the Detroit News editorial
page, said Pollard "had a covenant, a
trust with his fellow Americans, and
he betrayed that trust." He agreed that
other convicted spies, even those who
spied for America's enemies, received
lighter sentences.
"Yes, it bothers me," he said, "but
Pollard's breach was massive beyond
belief — carloads and carloads."
As far as the severity of Pollard's
sentence, Hadden said, "It was just
not his lucky day in court."
Hadden, a Novi resident, empha-
sized that he spoke on his own behalf,
not for the newspaper.
The presentation by Wayne State
University law professor Robert Sedler
"(Pollard's life sentence) was harsh,
unlikely and disproportionate to the
sentences received by others," he
said. "I believe if he had not been a
Jewish-American spying for Israel, he
wouldn't have received such a harsh
sentence.
JUSTICE on page 32
Remember
When
From the pages of The Jewish News
for this week 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50
years ago.
1989
Singer Bob Dylan performed three
songs on a Lubavitch telethon.
The head of virology at Ben-
Gurion University of the Negev has
developed a new test for chlamydia,
the nation's most prevalent sexually
transmitted disease.
,,
1979
Rina Mor, the only Israeli to win
the title of Miss Universe, was
named head of the public relations
department at the Tel Aviv Hilton.'
Israeli flags directed shoppers in
northwest Detroit Farmer Jack mar-
kets to aisles of products from Israel.
Dr. Edward Treisman was elected
chief of surgery at Providence
Hospital.
1989
Mel Merzon, chairman of the Oak
Park High School English depart-
ment, announced plans for he and
his wife to lead a four-week cultural
tour of central Europe for high
school students next summer.
Jews in Rome expressed concern
about a forthcoming Italian edition
of Hitler's Mein Kampf.
1959
New York Times correspondent
•
A.M. Rosenthal was ousted from
Poland for "probing too deeply"
into Poland's internal affairs.
Joseph Katz was re-elected presi-
dent of the Kvutzah Ivrit, a Hebrew
cultural organization.
Michael Dworkin has been
named youth activities director at
Young Israel Center of Oak Woods.
.%
9-
of Troy, a former member of the
temple's board of trustees, centered
on the legal and political ramifica-
tions of the case. But Sedler, too,
said Pollard had "committed heinous
crimes under American law."
The government's tactics were
hard-nosed, Sedler said, but he was
unwilling to call them illegal.
Clockwise from top left: Audience
member Tom Tannis said he felt the
intelligence community is trying to hide
information that would make it look bad
Jeffrey Hadden, Margot Gardner and
Robert Sedler field questions about
Jonathan Pollards life sentence for spying.
Harry Praw was concerned about anti-
Semitic implications of the case.
Yigal Yadin, former chief of opera-
tions in Israel, was appointed chief
of staff of the Israel Army.
Detroit attorney Joseph Jackier
was elected president of the Center
Symphony Orchestra.
Sword in the Desert, the first full-
length feature film on Israel, opened at
Detroit's Adams Theater. The film
stars Dana Andrews and Jeff Chandler.
— Compiled by Sy Manello,
editorial assistant
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