Eitan, a former Israeli intelligence officer, and the recruiter and handler of imprisoned spy Jonathan Pollard, said before the election that if elected to the Knesset, he would work for Pollard's release. He has long said, however, that the way to secure Pollard's release from U.S. prison is to work quietly and behind the scenes.
He has not changed his mind. This, despite telling Pollard's wife Esther in 1998 that the fact that Israel had officially recognized Jonathan as an Israeli agent made it easier for him to act openly. At the meeting, Mrs. Pollard brought Eitan a message from her husband: "Rafi, a commander does not leave his men in the field. The State
has finally acknowledged that I was her agent, that I was your soldier. I am asking you to bring me home."
When Eitan was elected to the Knesset nearly two months ago, Jonathan Pollard said, "I think it is important that people understand that [Eitan] was the one who failed to provide an escape plan for me. He was the one who was at the heart of my expulsion from the embassy, I believe."
As noted, Eitan has refused to sign a Knesset petition for Pollard's release, claiming again that the work for Pollard's release must be done without public noise.
Meanwhile, an Israeli Druze citizen who was falsely imprisoned in Egypt for seven years continues to speak out on Pollard's behalf. Azzam Azzam [pictured above with Pollard], of the Galilee village of M'rar, wrote a letter this morning to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, asking him to utilize his upcoming visit to the U.S. to obtain a pardon for Pollard. Azzam has participated in many public rallies on behalf of Pollard.
In response to Minister Eitan's actions, the Committee to Bring Jonathan Home released this statement: "Rafi Eitan manages to keep on breaking the record for hypocrisy. When we begged him not to be appointed a minister and not to run to the cameras while Pollard is still in prison, he ignored us and used his name to win in the elections."
Earlier this month, Pollard filed suit in the Supreme Court demanding that Eitan not be appointed as a government minister. Charging that Eitan is not suited to be entrusted with the responsibility for Israeli citizens, the suit states, inter alia:
* Eitan falsely told the Americans that Pollard had acted on his own and without Israeli knowledge or supervision. This lie deflected all responsibility for the Pollard affair away from the Government of Israel. Throughout the nearly 21 years that Pollard has remained in jail, Eitan has never corrected this lie. His ongoing silence about official Israeli involvement has helped to keep Pollard, an Israeli agent, in U.S. prison throughout this time.
* For 21 years, Eitan has withheld a critical document, refusing to release it to the Americans. He has also refused to provide it to the appropriate authorities in Israel so that they might use it to save the life of the Israeli agent.
He has not changed his mind. This, despite telling Pollard's wife Esther in 1998 that the fact that Israel had officially recognized Jonathan as an Israeli agent made it easier for him to act openly. At the meeting, Mrs. Pollard brought Eitan a message from her husband: "Rafi, a commander does not leave his men in the field. The State
has finally acknowledged that I was her agent, that I was your soldier. I am asking you to bring me home."
When Eitan was elected to the Knesset nearly two months ago, Jonathan Pollard said, "I think it is important that people understand that [Eitan] was the one who failed to provide an escape plan for me. He was the one who was at the heart of my expulsion from the embassy, I believe."
As noted, Eitan has refused to sign a Knesset petition for Pollard's release, claiming again that the work for Pollard's release must be done without public noise.
Meanwhile, an Israeli Druze citizen who was falsely imprisoned in Egypt for seven years continues to speak out on Pollard's behalf. Azzam Azzam [pictured above with Pollard], of the Galilee village of M'rar, wrote a letter this morning to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, asking him to utilize his upcoming visit to the U.S. to obtain a pardon for Pollard. Azzam has participated in many public rallies on behalf of Pollard.
In response to Minister Eitan's actions, the Committee to Bring Jonathan Home released this statement: "Rafi Eitan manages to keep on breaking the record for hypocrisy. When we begged him not to be appointed a minister and not to run to the cameras while Pollard is still in prison, he ignored us and used his name to win in the elections."
Earlier this month, Pollard filed suit in the Supreme Court demanding that Eitan not be appointed as a government minister. Charging that Eitan is not suited to be entrusted with the responsibility for Israeli citizens, the suit states, inter alia:
* Eitan falsely told the Americans that Pollard had acted on his own and without Israeli knowledge or supervision. This lie deflected all responsibility for the Pollard affair away from the Government of Israel. Throughout the nearly 21 years that Pollard has remained in jail, Eitan has never corrected this lie. His ongoing silence about official Israeli involvement has helped to keep Pollard, an Israeli agent, in U.S. prison throughout this time.
* For 21 years, Eitan has withheld a critical document, refusing to release it to the Americans. He has also refused to provide it to the appropriate authorities in Israel so that they might use it to save the life of the Israeli agent.