Jonathan Pollard criticized Israel’s acceptance of an American-imposed ceasefire, saying the decision reflected a lack of resolve and leadership. “There’s always another alternative, if you’re willing to stand up for yourself,” he told Arutz Sheva-Israel National News during an interview in Jerusalem on Sukkot. “I remember having terrible arguments when the American-imposed ceasefire in Lebanon was accepted. I was told, ‘What choice did we have?’ And I laid out a series of options that would have suited us far better than the deal imposed on us.”
Pollard said the same dynamic is repeating itself today. “Right now, we never should have adopted this plan. Since October 7th, there’s been a vacuum over what the day after would amount to in Gaza. When you have a vacuum, somebody is going to fill it.”
He warned that Israel’s leadership is again accepting a deal that could prove disastrous. “The country had been completely abandoned by the political and military echelons. I see a government that basically doesn’t really care about the people, the land and people of this country, and is willing right now, both the military and the political establishment, to accept a deal imposed on us by the Americans that will eventually return us to another October 7th.”
Reflecting on the events of October 7th, which he called the “Black Sabbath,” Pollard said, “Up until that time, I had felt that I was the exception to the rule. My abandonment and betrayal by the government was an exception. But when I watched the GoPro video of the Nukba terrorists coming into my security phone, I suddenly realized that we had all been abandoned, all of us.”
Pollard added that Israel has consistently failed to achieve a decisive victory. “The problem with that is it’s called mowing the grass or managing the problem. We have never decisively defeated anyone yet on any of our fronts—not the Houthis, not Hamas, not Hezbollah, not Iran. We’re managing that problem, but we haven’t done anything decisively to eliminate it.”
When asked if total victory is even possible, he answered, “Yes, we saw it during the Second World War, when the Allies declared there would be no compromise—total surrender of the Axis powers. But we here in Israel don’t seem to comprehend that concept very well. We have not defeated Hezbollah. We have not defeated Hamas.”
Pollard also spoke about the US-Israel relationship, saying that despite President Donald Trump’s strong support for Israel, Jerusalem should act independently. “We should have said no thanks. It’s our blood that’s been spilled, our people that have been slaughtered, our hostages kept under inhumane conditions. These people [in Gaza] are not our friends and never will be.”
He added that Israel should have presented a clear postwar vision. “The Prime Minister, on October 8th, should have announced what the day after would be. For me, that would be the total destruction of Hamas, the expulsion of the Gazans, the re-imposition of sovereignty over the land, and the repopulation of Gaza.”
Pollard said he speaks with displaced Israelis from the north and south who express similar sentiments. “When I ask them what they think of the day after, the answer has been the same: no Arabs, none. These are people who have gone through hell. They saw their families and friends slaughtered and their communities destroyed by the same people that President Trump feels sorry for.”
Discussing Sukkot in Jerusalem, Pollard described a somber atmosphere. “Like most Israelis, I’m living what best can be described as a schizophrenic life because I have dear friends right now in Gaza that I’m very concerned about. Yet at the same time, we have to celebrate the Chag. When we have the families over, it’s a very somber occasion.”
He noted the absence of young people in the city’s streets. “You walk around Yerushalayim and I don’t see many young men or women. They’re in the field defending us. So Sukkot for me right now is more a celebration of absence than anything I’m actually enjoying.”
Despite his concerns, Pollard concluded with pride in Israel’s soldiers. “I’m immensely proud of our Chayalim. I can’t tell you how proud I am of these men and women who have put on the uniform to defend us. That’s why I can’t conceive of turning over land that so many soldiers have fought and died for to anybody else.”