ISRAELI-AMERICAN TALKS TO RELEASE POLLARD: DAILY BEAST
Washington, 1 Jumadil Akhir 1435/ 1 April 2014 (MINA) – The U.S Daily Beast website quoted from the American Administration on Tuesday morning as saying, there are efforts to release the Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard in exchange for the release of the fourth batch of Palestinian prisoners, including prisoners from the pre-1948 Palestine.
It said, “America refused over the years to release Pollard who is serving a life sentence in American prisons, however, US stance has been changed recently in light of the existing risks threatened the Israeli Palestinian settlement process.”
The website quoted a senior official in the U.S Administration as saying, “ U.S Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu are looking in the possibility of releasing Pollard in an attempt to develop an agreement to maintain the negotiations process after the peace talks’ deadline specified on April 29.”
Releasing Pollard will give Netanyahu the Israeli society’s support to release the fourth batch of prisoners, according to Daily Beast, ALRAY, Palestinian Media Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.
The US official added that his administration refused previously this option but the Israeli occupation took a tougher stance, linking Pollard release to the fate of peace negotiations.
Kerry met Netanyahu yesterday evening and he is expected to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas today.
Jonathan Jay Pollard (born August 7, 1954) is an American convicted of passing classified information to Israel while working as a civilian intelligence analyst. He pled guilty and received a life sentence in 1987.
Because his crime occurred prior to November 1, 1987, he is eligible for parole after 30 years in prison provided he continues to maintain a clean record, and may be released on November 21, 2015.
Israel granted Pollard citizenship in 1995, but denied until 1998 that it had bought classified information from him. Israeli activist groups, as well as high-profile Israeli politicians, have lobbied for his release.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced particularly strong support for Pollard, visiting the convicted spy in prison in 2002 while not in office. His case was later linked to that of Ben-ami Kadish, another U.S. citizen who pled guilty to charges of passing classified information to Israel in the same period.
Pollard is the only person in US history to receive a life sentence for spying for an ally, and the only American citizen convicted of such a crime to be sentenced to more than 10 years in prison. (T/P04/E01).
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
