Let Pollard Go from page 28
The clarion call for Pollard's release
stands on its own merit.
Israel — and that releasing Pollard
could ignite Israeli-Palestinian peace
talks. I remember how the 1998 Wye
River Peace Accord was supposed
to provide the same ignition. The
cause-and-effect idea surely fans the
discussion flames, but I didn't believe
in it 14 years ago and I don't now.
The clarion call for Pollard's release
stands on its own merit.
The U.S. isn't budging, for now, on
Pollard, a White House spokesman
said the day Peres was honored and
just before the Israeli statesman met
privately with Obama.
"Our position has not changed and
will not change today," Jay Carney
said at a press briefing. "And I would
simply remind you that Mr. Pollard
was convicted of extremely serious
crimes."
In a silver lining of sorts, Ronald
Rodgers, the U.S. Department of
Justice pardon attorney, has told
those pleading for Pollard's release
that his case is under consideration,
according to JTA.
One troubling roadblock against early
release is Vice President Joe Biden.
"President Obama was considering
clemency, but I
told him, 'Over
my dead body
are we going
to let him out
before his time:"
Biden said in a
Sept. 23 meeting
with 15 rabbis in
Boca Raton, Fla.,
according to the
New York Times.
The Jewish
Week in New York
reported that
Biden referred to
Pollard as a "trai-
tor:'
While a
staunch sup-
porter of Israel
going back to
his service in
the U.S. Senate,
Biden is way
out of whack in
opposing clem-
ency. That stri-
dent stance can
only harm his
presidential assignment to court
Jewish Democrats as well as the
party's mainstream, assuring them
the Obama administration is a loyal
friend of Israel. The notion lingers
that Biden is the fall guy for Obama,
who, in this case, is against clemency,
but doesn't want to be the leading
voice of opposition.
Pollard's medical condition is
acute. As his wife told Peres, "I appeal
to you as Jonathan's wife so that you
might use your influence because
I do not want to be his widow.
Jonathan's strength
is slipping away, and
I do not know what
will happen the next
time I receive a tele-
phone call about his
health problems."
Yes, the humani-
tarian concern is
Esther Pollard
noble. But the high-
est and best argu-
ment for granting
early release is that Jonathan Pollard
already has served more than double
the maximum time a person con-
victed of the same crime today would
receive.
Obama should grant clemency.
❑
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