Another chance may be presenting itself in the campaign to attain Jonathan Pollard\'s freedom. His wife Esther reports that, \"given proper Israeli government authorization, the highest officials in the U.S. would agree to meet with Rabbi Eliyahu and hear his plea on behalf of Jonathan.\" To this end, a public campaign has begun to have Rabbi Eliyahu, the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, included in President Moshe Katzav\'s entourage during his trip to the U.S. next week.
The Pollards have requested that Prime Minister Sharon appoint Rabbi Eliyahu as his official emissary on behalf of Pollard in the Katzav entourage, and Sharon reportedly responded with enthusiasm. However, he has not yet actually taken action to this end. Several Jewish groups in Israel are therefore organizing a fax campaign to the Prime Minister, asking that he \"immediately take this small but profoundly meaningful step to deliver on his promise to do all in his power to free Pollard.\" Sharon\'s fax number (currently) is (+972-2)-670-5475.
As Esther Pollard explained, \"Jonathan did not spy against the United States, but rather for Israel, America\'s closest ally. He warned Israel that Saddam Hussein was planning to scorch the Jewish State.... Yes, Jonathan broke the law to warn Israel. He deserved to be punished - but the usual sentence for spying for an ally is 2-4 years, while Jonathan is now serving his 16th year of a life sentence, with no possibility of parole... Since its inception, this case has been riddled with judicial inequities which include a grossly disproportionate sentence, a broken plea agreement, the use of secret evidence, totally ineffective assistance of counsel, a lack of due process, as well as other judicial flaws - which prompted Appellate Court Justice Steven Williams to describe the Pollard case as \'a complete and gross miscarriage of justice.\'\" MK Michael Kleiner has said that Pollard, who is in fragile and constantly deteriorating health, \"is like an Israeli soldier sitting in a foreign prison. If we do everything to help a soldier, then we should do everything to help Pollard.\"
The Pollards have requested that Prime Minister Sharon appoint Rabbi Eliyahu as his official emissary on behalf of Pollard in the Katzav entourage, and Sharon reportedly responded with enthusiasm. However, he has not yet actually taken action to this end. Several Jewish groups in Israel are therefore organizing a fax campaign to the Prime Minister, asking that he \"immediately take this small but profoundly meaningful step to deliver on his promise to do all in his power to free Pollard.\" Sharon\'s fax number (currently) is (+972-2)-670-5475.
As Esther Pollard explained, \"Jonathan did not spy against the United States, but rather for Israel, America\'s closest ally. He warned Israel that Saddam Hussein was planning to scorch the Jewish State.... Yes, Jonathan broke the law to warn Israel. He deserved to be punished - but the usual sentence for spying for an ally is 2-4 years, while Jonathan is now serving his 16th year of a life sentence, with no possibility of parole... Since its inception, this case has been riddled with judicial inequities which include a grossly disproportionate sentence, a broken plea agreement, the use of secret evidence, totally ineffective assistance of counsel, a lack of due process, as well as other judicial flaws - which prompted Appellate Court Justice Steven Williams to describe the Pollard case as \'a complete and gross miscarriage of justice.\'\" MK Michael Kleiner has said that Pollard, who is in fragile and constantly deteriorating health, \"is like an Israeli soldier sitting in a foreign prison. If we do everything to help a soldier, then we should do everything to help Pollard.\"