Opinion

A MIX OF IDEAS

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Greenberg's View

Editorial

Ifor

Backing Clemency
For Jonathan Pollard

T

here's a groundswell of support
for a letter that circulated in
the U.S. House asking President
Obama to extend clemency to Jonathan
Pollard. We think the letter presents a
legitimate request.
Jewish support includes Orthodox and
Reform groups, underscoring the range
of such support in the communal world.
Pollard, a former civilian intelligence
analyst for the U.S. Navy, is serving a life
sentence for passing classified informa-
tion to Israel. He was convicted in 1985.
Ever since, there has been a great debate,
ebbing and flowing, about not only his
guilt, but also the severity of his sentence.
The letter does not question Pollard's
guilt or sentencing, but argues, "There
has been a great disparity from the
standpoint of justice between the amount
of time Mr. Pollard has served and the
time that has been served — or not
served at all — by many others who
were found guilty of similar activity on
behalf of nations adversarial to us, unlike
Israel:'

Therein lies the crux of our contention:
That time served indeed should be mea-
sured against the established time line
for such a conviction. The logic: Pollard
committed a felony, took money for his
illegal actions, was found guilty and has
paid a fair price — 25 years.
U.S. Reps. Barney Frank, D-Mass., Bill
Pascrell, D-N.J., Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y.,
and Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., circulated
the letter. Among the Jewish groups
backing their initiative are the National
Council of Young Israel, the Orthodox
Union and Agudath Israel, all Orthodox
based, as well as the Religious Action
Center of Reform Judaism.
The letter states that the act of grant-
ing Pollard clemency could help in the
current standoff over Israeli-Palestinian
peace talks. That's an intriguing idea, but
it really has nothing to do with the let-
ter's core request.
The letter states: "We further believe
that at a time when Israel, our democrat-
ic ally, is being faced with difficult deci-
sions, a decision by you to grant clem-

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ency would not only be a humane act
regarding Mr. Pollard, but it would also
be taken in Israel as a further affirmation
of the strong commitment the U.S. has to
the ties between us, and we believe that
such an affirmation could be especially
useful at a time when those decisions are
being made."
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency cites
September reports, using unnamed
sources, suggesting that Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might

offer to extend the West Bank construc-
tion freeze in exchange for Pollard's
release.
It's far-fetched to think, or even advo-
cate, that a request for clemency some-
how would hinge on the remote possibil-
ity that granting the request would ignite
the latest Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
The connection makes for interesting
discussion fodder, but is irrelevant to the
decision that the letter asks President
Obama to make. 0

No Place For Bullying In God's World

New York/J. 1A

I

was saddened to hear of the death of
Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old col-
lege student driven to suicide by bul-
lying over his sexual orientation. While
Clementi's case has grabbed national
headlines, it sadly is far from unique.
Last September alone, no fewer than
six boys in the United States committed
suicide as a response to bullying they
suffered over their sexual identities.
Several of the victims were as young as
13 years old.
Bullying is nothing new, but modern
technology has caused it to explode in
new and dangerous ways. In Clementi's
case, intimate moments were Webcast.
Other teens are humiliated routinely
via social networks. It takes no effort
whatsoever to send a tweet, post a video
or write on a virtual wall.
In the old days, bullies could usually
only harass their intended victims live
and in person. Nowadays, a teen can be
abused and publicly denigrated remote-
ly and often anonymously.
Such cases are not limited to boys;

nor are they limited to
situations pertaining to the
victims' sexuality. Three
girls are awaiting trial in
Massachusetts for their role in
harassing a classmate to the
point of suicide. Even when
situations do not reach the
point of suicide as a perceived
means of escape, bullying low-
ers self-esteem and leads to
depression and anxiety.
It is unacceptable to harass
or bully anyone for any reason.
It makes no difference what a
person's race, religion, ethnicity, sexual
orientation or country of origin happens
to be. A person's income or social status
is immaterial. We are all created in the
image of God; and the Torah demands
that we extend common courtesy to one
another.
Our responsibility goes even further
in the case of the downtrodden and
oppressed, insisting that we guard our-
selves very carefully so as not to add to
their troubles through our words and
actions. (Causing pain to a widow, an

or a convert are par-
La orphan
ticularly heinous acts under

Hate and fear of that which is differ-
ent is not something with which we are
born; it is something acquired. ("You've
Torah law.)
Got to Be Taught:' the beautiful Rodgers
Rabbi Akiva famously
and Hammerstein song in South Pacific,
said in Leviticus 19:18 that
sends out that message.) Accordingly, I
the primary principle of the
implore all parents, teachers and other
Torah is "love your neighbor
role models to actively encourage an
as yourself"
environment of tolerance.
However, the Sifra (a book
This doesn't mean that we have to
of the Midrash) immediately
agree
with every decision that oth-
follows that statement with
ers
may
make in life. We may disagree
what it considers to be an
with
others'
theologies or lifestyles.
even more important princi-
But
disagreement
is not a license to
ple: The sage Ben Azzai cites
abuse
others.
A
child,
a teen or an adult
in Genesis 5:1: "This is the
who
harasses
another
person,
verbally
book of the generations of Adam." The
or
physically,
is
automatically
in the
verse means that we all are descended
wrong.
from the same ancestors, Adam and
At the National Conference of
Eve.
Synagogue
Youth, we have adopted
As important as the verse cited by
strict
policies
against acts of malice and
Rabbi Akiva is, it's too easy for us to
aggression.
All
of our regions across
justify hating others because they are
North
America
are being instructed to
not our "neighbor"; that is, they are not
have
sessions
on
bullying.
like us. Ben Azzai's verse reminds us
Unwelcome
attention
and a hostile
that black or white, rich or poor, straight
environment
are
unacceptable,
regard-
or gay, Jewish, Christian or Muslim, we
ultimately are one family — the family
No Place For Bullying on page 22
of mankind.

November 4 • 2010

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