Israel Ambassador Michael Oren and friend
Israel Ambassador Michael Oren and friendIsrael news photo: courtesy of Chabad.org

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren plans to visit former intelligence agent Jonathan Pollard in an American prison, according to sources close to Pollard.

 

Pollard's wife Esther left Israel Sunday to join Oren for the visit to the North Carolina prison where her husband is incarcerated.

 

However, it is still possible the visit may be cancelled due to Pollard's deteriorating health, as happened this past March when Social Services Minister Moshe Kahlon planned to visit the former Israeli agent.

 

Pollard was denied permission to leave the prison for a few hours to visit his father, Professor Morris Pollard, on his deathbed in June. He was again denied permission to to leave the prison even to attend his father's funeral, after the elder Pollard died June 18.

 

The former agent was convicted by the United States government on one charge of passing classified information on terrorist activity to an ally – Israel – more than 25 years ago. The sentence for such a crime is generally two to four years in prison; Pollard received a sentence of natural life.

 

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made an unprecedented public appeal for Pollard's appeal earlier this year. Netanyahu and Oren have joined a growing list of Israeli and American leaders who are calling on U.S. President Barack Obama to grant Pollard clemency.