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Spring is
a time of freedom; there's a feeling of relief with
the sun shining and going outdoors after the long cooped up
winter in our homes. For many like me, Spring means Passover
time - which is a time of freedom.
At
this time of the year I think it's only fitting for
us to turn our thoughts to someone who is unfairly deprived of
his freedom. It is time to raise our voices and say, "Let
Jonathan Pollard go."
Let's
take a look at the facts.
Jonathan
spied for Israel, an American ally.
Jonathan
gave Israel information it should have been given anyway.
Unlike
Aldrich Ames, who was responsible for the deaths of
at least 11 American agents, the information Jonathan gave did
not endanger any of our other spies or cause their death.
The
median sentence for the offense Pollard committed -
one count of passing classified information to an ally - is
two to four years; Jonathan received a life sentence.
Jonathan
Pollard is the only person in the history of the
United States to receive a life sentence for spying for an
American ally.
Steven
Lalas, a Greek American compromised the identities
of American agents in the Balkans. Although Lalas did not
cooperate, the Government still honored his plea agreement and
sentenced him to only 14 years. Jonathan Pollard committed a
less serious offense and received his life sentence without
benefit of trial as a result of a plea bargain which he
honored and the U.S. government violated.
Clayton
Lonetree sold the floor plans of the American
embassies in Moscow and Vienna as well as the identities of
American agents to the Soviet Union, a hostile country.
Lonetree's 25 year sentence was soon reduced to 20. Lonetree,
convicted in 1987, the same year as Pollard, went free in 1996
after serving only nine years; Jonathan is in jail for almost
22 years. Pollard remains in prison in the 21st century with
no end in sight.
Worse
still is the case of Michael Schwartz, who spied
for our American ally, Saudi Arabia. He didn't serve even a
single day in prison. Schwartz was treated humanely and
generously and given only a slap on the wrist for his offense
- dismissal from his Navy job and loss of rank and pension.
Compare that to the life sentence Pollard received for spying
for a different ally, Israel.
Jonathan
Pollard did the wrong thing; Jonathan paid for his
crime.
| The
inequities between the Pollard case and all
other similar cases in United States history call out
to us. Now at this time of freedom it's time for us to
raise our collective voices and say, "An
injustice has been done! Free Jonathan Pollard
now!" |
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more articles by Rabbi Hecht
