B”H (From my archives) JONATHAN POLLARD, THEN [AND NOW] (From our Archives) Jerusalem Post, Nov 25, 2010, p. 14 25 years ago. On Nov 25, 1985, The Jerusalem Post reported that Israeli leaders said that they were shocked by reports that a US naval employee, Jonathan Pollard, was charged with spying for Israel but they insisted that they knew nothing about it. Pollard, it was understood from the US charges, had reported to Israel on Arab armed power. Alexander Zvielli --------------------------- Same, Nov 28, 2010, p. 14 25 years ago. ... the New York Times reported that Pollards main contact was an official at the Israeli embassy in Washington responsible for collecting sensitive scientific data for military and other use. The FBI said that Pollard admitted passing documents to Israel. [Pollard was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1987 and is still in prison, despite widespread appeals for clemency.] -------------- (Letter published in the HaModia English-language weekly Letters column, May 10, 2012) ----------------- “...following are some ideas re: saving J. Pollard. In addition to and/or instead of approaching directly the governments and public organizations in the USA and Israel we should try at least two other ways to help Jonathan Pollard, namely: 1. Organize mass prayers for the immediate release of Yehonatan Ben Malka by boys and girls of pre-bar and bat-mitzvah age, in Israel and possibly also in the USA, IDEALLY on the lawn of the White House - the latter idea was suggested by a FSU Jew who reacted to my talk on the Russian radio), and 2. Contact as many former Soviet Jewish activists (Prisoners of Zion and refuseniks) as possible asking them to use all their remaining contacts (from the time when they were prisoners or refuseniks in the USSR and later, immediately after leaving the USSR/CIS) to ask the US President to release Pollard. Talking to them (at least to those who have not openly shown their unwillingness to do something for Pollard!) we can ask them to remember how they themselves were feeling in the USSR (empathy is the word) and why their message will be much more impressive than that of people who were luckier than they (in my case, e.g., 37 years ago I was still in Odessa /today it is Ukraine/ waiting for an exit visa which I received in due time without any special problems!). The above ideas I have expressed talking on the REKA (Russian-language radio) and the Hebrew Kol ba-Rama radio, and also in private conversations with anyone ready to hear... In case we manage to carry out the (1) the advantage is that the prayers will be more honest and pure (uncorrupted, to be more precise). In case (2) , in addition to the pros of using what might be left of those Jews weight we can evaluate their role in the public and political life of the year 2012s Israel... INFO on the Pollard case is not lacking. In the article The Ugliness of Ingratitude by Rabbi Lazer Brody (Israel and the Jewish World bulletin published by the TORONTO ZIONIST COUNCIL, July 2, 2010) the website JonathanPollard.org is mentioned. The first and best source of information is, to my opinion, Jonathans wife Ester Pollard. She should be contacted in any case. I have been reading articles and readers letters about him in the HaModia English-language weekly. Some materials from the above mentioned sources I have translated into Russian and disseminated via a few friendly websites. Efim Maidanik -------------- (From my letter to the Jerusalem Post) If someone in The Jerusalem Post would approach the above mentioned Russians with a couple of good questions (my questions they, naturally, ignore) something good might come out of such thing. An interview with Eleonora Shifrin who officially represents the Pollard family in the Russian media and is one of two editors of the Russian website Pollard might help, too. Having no such credentials I can still offer myself (a translator and journalist who worked in the BBC Russian Service in London in 1977-82; I have been writing and talking about Pollard for many years) as another possible source of information about what could be done for Pollard... All the best. Yours sincerely, Efim MAIDANIK 26.09.2013 PS. Re: his wife and people working on his behalf - to the best of my knowledge, they have NEVER talked to the Russians... EM ----------------- (Michael Foa said:) “…I learned (from the campaign to free Natan Sharansky – EM) that when the people of Israel truly want something, even an iron wall can collapse(…) When Israel wanted Gilad Schalit freed from Hamas, it was done. And if the Israeli people really want it, Obama will have to free Jonathan Pollard” (The Jerusalem Post, Mar 15, 2013, p. 7 “Likud adviser goes on hunger strike to protest Obama’s refusal to pardon Pollard” by Daniel E. Eisenbud) ----------------------- BH It might help if a QUESTION is put straight to Obama: State your reasons for refusing to free Jonathan Pollard - or say No comment. If he gives them itll be easier to those who want Pollard free to go on - by disproving his arguments. No comment would mean that Obama is absolutely irresponsible in a matter so important to many Jews (and non-Jews too) in the US and Israel. Those who voted for him and are thinking of doing this again, BEWARE: a president avoiding his responsibility to answer REASONABLE questions might let you down in matters much more important to you. E. Maidanik 18.07.2012. PS. I would welcome comments. My phone Nos. are (972-2) 5856873 or (972-52) 304-8078 Not Shabat. EM ------- Efim MAIDANIK 22.03.2014
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 19:16:57 +0000
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