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Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Pollard's Exodus?

Could it be that we will merit to see Pollard free? First this happened:
A broad-based interfaith coalition comprised of more than 500 members of the clergy and community leaders sent a letter today to President Barack Obama, in which they called on the President to commute the sentence of Jonathan Pollard. (The letter with the complete list of signatories is attached; the text of the letter appears below.)

The signatories on the letter include prominent religious and communal leaders from a wide array of Christian and Jewish communities, including representatives of Alliance for Jewish Renewal, American Values, Amit, Association of Reform Zionists of America, B'nai B'rith International, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Christians United for Israel, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, EMUNAH of America, Florida Council of Churches, Hebrew Union College, Hillel, JCC's of North America, Jewish Women International, National Council of Young Israel, New York Board of Rabbis, ORT America, Inc., Orthodox Union, Rabbinical Council of America, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Religious Zionists of America-Mizrachi, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Union for Reform Judaism, Yeshiva University, and the Zionist Organization of America.

The need to free Pollard has finally entered the consensus as Jennifer Rubin points out:
Nyer is correct that the letter is noteworthy, in part, because of the diverse political affiliation of the signatories, ranging from conservative Morton Klein of the ZOA to such leftwing figures as Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, head of the Union of Reform Judaism. In the past, the intensity for Pollard's pardon has been primarily on the right, but this broad-based plea suggests this is no longer a rightwing issue. As the press release notes, some well known liberal individuals and groups have adopted the cause:
And now this:
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made an unprecedented public appeal in the Knesset Tuesday night for freeing Jonathan, reading out loud a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama, appealing to him to end Pollard’s life sentence in prison.
The ball is definitely in Obama's court. Will he harden his heart as the Pharaoh of old? Time will tell.

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