Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, Chief Rabbi of Bet El
B'Ahava uB'Emunah - Machon Meir
Translation: R. Blumberg - Machon Meir
[Via Justice For Jonathan Pollard]
Maybe somebody is ready to explain to me why Jonathan Pollard has been sitting in prison beyond any reasonable length of time? Why have spies many times as dangerous been released long before? Why should America behave that way vis-à-vis a country that is one of its "friends"? Also, why was Pollard accused of handing over to Israel a list of all the
spies of the United States operating in Russia, such that after that, forty
American spies were caught or murdered, since there was a Russian spy
operating within the Israeli espionage network? Yet later on, the two spies
who betrayed America were caught, Ames and Hanson, and confessed. The proof
of Pollard's innocence was sitting right there the whole time right under
everyone's noses: the list of American agents in Russia was sitting in a
safe, access to which was permitted only by special authorization known as
"blue stripe clearance". The list could only be examined under the
supervision of security agents, and Pollard had no "blue stripe clearance"
(Source: John Loftus, who served as the federal prosecutor in the American
Justice Department http://www.jonathanpollard.org/2003/060003.htm).
And why, afterwards, did they once more falsely accuse him of handing over
to the Russians the log of frequencies for uncovering short wave radio
broadcasts, an accusation that fell through immediately, and they also
admitted that this was inconsequential (Loftus)? And in general, perhaps
someone will explain to me why they are always spreading lies about him over
there, that he is one of the most notorious spies in American history, for
example, that he transferred classified information to Pakistan (?!)
And I know how to answer the questions for myself: They would prefer for him
to disappear off the face of the earth, as they said, including the American
ambassador in his visit to Israel, who said that Pollard actually deserves a
death penalty.
Hence from day one they have been persecuting him to death. Yet what can you
do? The fellow won't die. He won't die and he won't commit suicide.
Apparently he is a very strong person. What is certain is that he has strong
faith. He is a tower of strength. The very fact that he has survived, that
he has remained alive and sane is a miracle, a miracle from heaven. Yet why
are the Americans praying deep in their hearts: "Pollard! Die already!"?
Apparently he knows too much. He knows too many dark secrets about people in
high places.
The first example of a dark secret is the following: The Americans wanted to
expel the Russians from Afghanistan. Towards that end, they asked the Saudis
to draft an army of Muslim terrorists, and they provided salaries and
weaponry through the Saudis. Yet after the Russians were expelled, Saudi
Arabia continued providing salaries to that monster created by America,
including Al Qaida and Bin Laden, in order for them to act against Israel,
and it was they who carried out the attack on the Twin Towers! Since Pollard
warned about this in advance, many people at the top in America are going to
have to be held accountable, and it doesn't pay for them that Pollard should
go free (Loftus).
A second example of a dark secret: The Soviet Union sent weapons shipments
by sea to almost all the terror organizations in the Middle East. Pollard
knew that American Intelligence had received orders, signed by the
President, to share this information with Israel, but had not done so, and
he, Pollard, passed on this information. This was very embarrassing for
American Intelligence (Loftus).
A third example: In 1984, Pollard discerned a fleet of ships sailing back
and forth between Greece and Yemen, where the P.L.O. had a main base, and he
passed this information on to Israel, which warned Greece. Greece then
confiscated the entire ship's hold - weaponry intended for the P.L.O. Yet
the financing for the ship did not come from the P.L.O., but by orders of
the American Vice President, as ransom money for Americans being held
hostage in Lebanon. Later on, the enormous scandal broke out that was called
the "Iran Contra" Affair, the darkest, most secretive operation of our
times, involving the sale of American weaponry to Iran, including weapons
for the P.L.O. The American Secretary of State was put on trial, sentenced
to twenty-four years in prison, but he received clemency from the President.
This alone is enough of a pretext for keeping Pollard in prison forever.
A fourth example: In 2003, classified information was released in America,
from which it emerges that America's proclamations against Iraqi manufacture
of chemical weapons are only a fig leaf, and that they really are allowing
the Iraqis to continue. Moreover, the U.S. was supporting them the whole
time with funding for their purchase of chemicals, materials and technology.
When Israel asked the United States about this, the U.S. denied it. Yet
Pollard had passed on to Israel American satellite photos of Iraqi
installations for the manufacture of chemical weapons. Parenthetically,
production was with the assistance of German scientists, and, inter alia,
with those same chemical materials that the Nazis used against us during the
Holocaust. What is worse, the American company that supplied the chemical
materials belonged to both the American Vice President and the Secretary of
State. All of this is enough reason for America to want Pollard to sit
forever in darkness and to die with his secrets, and we pray that he will go
free, whereby a victory will be scored for justice.
Yet we are bothered by something worse, something that affects us and our
country. Why did Jonathan endanger his career and his freedom by handing
over to the State of Israel enormously important information about the
development of biological, chemical and atomic weapons and ballistic
missiles in Iraq, Iran, Libya and Syria, weapons meant to be used against
us, and why did we bring his suffering upon him by throwing him out of the
Israeli embassy where he was seeking refuge?
Moreover, why did it take thirteen years until he was recognized officially
as our agent, and that only after a petition to the Supreme Court? And why
was he then not added to the official list of our Defense Ministry, such
that in his American prison he still has the status of a criminal, and he is
treated accordingly?
And perhaps someone is willing to explain to me why he and his wife do not
receive any financial assistance here in this country, especially medical
assistance for his wife, who is very ill?
And if I am already asking, then I will also ask why the request for
clemency, signed by 112 members of our Knesset, was never submitted to the
American president? And why does every government official in this country
listen to us politely, seeming to identify with us, and promise to examine
the materials handed over to him relating to Pollard, but never does a
thing? Or he avoids the issue by saying, "You don't know what terrible
things he did!" but he never shares the details.
Why do they argue that we've got to work quietly - so quietly that he has
been rotting in prison for twenty-three years?
I shall answer by myself: They'd prefer that he died, and then total silence
would truly reign. Indeed, an Israeli agent was sent to him to convey to him
that he would do well to commit suicide. Yet since he refused these orders,
they relate to him as though he doesn't exist.
Such marvelous harmony reigns between Israel and America, with both of them
proclaiming as one: Pollard! Please die!
Yet the question remains: Why does the State of Israel want him to disappear
off the face of the earth?
That question we have already answered: He knows too much. He knows about
high-placed Israeli government officials who collaborated with America and
handed over the materials leading to his conviction, containing his
fingerprints, etc., etc. They are even afraid that the truth will be exposed
by the State Controller who is presently examining the episode, and they are
fighting against him.
It is unpleasant for me to tell any more of this. It is easier for me to
quote from an article by Rabbi Ya'akov Meidan, head of the Har Etzion
Yeshiva:
"Amongst the people with an influence today on the political system, there
are three who are likely to be interested in Pollard taking his secret with
him to the grave. One of them is the honorable President of Israel, Shimon
Peres, who was Prime Minister at the time, and who with determination but a
lack of sensitivity clung to the lie that Pollard acted of his own accord.
Peres was the architect of the closing of all the files of those involved in
the Pollard episode.
"The second is Ehud Barak, who was then the head of Army Intelligences and
was involved in Pollard's being put into operation. Later on, when he became
Prime Minister, he paved the way for Clinton's reneging on his promise to
Netanyahu to grant Pollard clemency, and he replaced it with clemency for
Barak's intimate Mark Rich.
"The third is Rafi Eitan, a government minister from the Pensioners' Party,
who eluded the long arm of American justice in that same episode, by dumping
his guilt on the narrow shoulders of Pollard" (September, 2008).
I will just say one thing, that everyone knows. In 1987, a government
investigation headed by Abba Eban presented its conclusions regarding who
was the main person in Israel guilty in the Pollard case. For some reason,
at that very moment, there were some people who made sure that Abba Eban's
political career came to an end, and indeed, since then, we have never heard
another word about him. Look through the various history books.
Thus, we must decide once and for all if we are a sovereign state or a lowly
American satellite; an honest, upright country or a tangle of base
intrigues. Are we the disciples of Abraham and Moses or not? Do we want to
fulfill "Do not stand idly by when your fellow's life is in danger"
(Leviticus 19:16) or don't we?
Are we following in the path of Jonathan, who risked his life for the sake
of the Jewish People, and even now takes an interest, and lives and breathes
and loves the people of Israel dwelling in Zion? Jonathan does not worry
about himself, but only about the problems of the nation. He is truly a
person concerned with the whole Jewish People.
We shall continue to protest and to struggle for him. We have risen to
rebirth out of love and brotherhood, peace and friendship, not in order to
return to the dark abyss of the past. Certainly not!
We shall build our lives on the foundations of morality and justice,
gratitude, mutual concern and brotherhood. That is what affords our country
its right to exist.
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