Jonathan Pollard, the former US naval intelligence analyst who served 30 years in prison for spying for Israel, has said he intends to run for the Knesset in the upcoming elections on a platform that includes the “forcible removal" of Palestinians from Gaza and the territory’s repopulation by Israelis.
In an interview with Channel 13 News, Pollard said: “I personally prefer the forcible removal of all current residents of Gaza, and the annexation of Gaza and its repopulation by us."
Pollard said his decision to enter politics was influenced by the Hamas attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. He criticised the Israeli government for what he described as a failure to prevent the assault and for its response during the initial stages of the attack.
“Until then, I thought that the abandonment and betrayal I experienced from the government was an exception and not the rule," Pollard said. “But after October 7 I realized that I was not an exception."
Pollard was arrested in 1985 along with his then-wife Anne Henderson after passing classified US documents to Israeli intelligence. The material, later described by US officials as extensive and highly sensitive, included large volumes of military intelligence. He was sentenced in 1987 to life imprisonment, later reduced, and was released on parole in 2015 after serving 30 years. He emigrated to Israel in 2020 after completing parole restrictions and received a public welcome from supporters, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had previously advocated for his release.
US officials previously said Pollard’s actions caused significant damage to national security, and that he had also passed classified information to other countries. Pollard has maintained that he acted out of ideological commitment to Israel, though critics have also cited financial motivations.
In the interview, Pollard also criticised Netanyahu’s leadership, saying Israel was not achieving its strategic objectives in the war that began in 2023 and calling for a change in direction. However, he added that if Netanyahu remains in power after the next election, expected in October, “then we will have to support him."
Pollard is expected to run as part of a new political list formed with Nissim Louk, whose daughter was murdered in the 7 October massacre at a music festival near the Gaza border.