Israel Matzav

Obama sees no connection between NSA spy revelations and releasing Jonathan Pollard

Israel's Channel 10 is reporting that President Hussein Obama sees no connection between revelations that the United States spies on Israel and every other country and his own refusal to release Jonathan Pollard, who was convicted 26 years ago of spying on the United States for Israel.

Channel 10 quoted a White House official saying that Obama's opinion against releasing Pollard immediately had not changed and that there was no connection between Pollard and revelations that the US National Security Agency (NSA) had spied on Israeli leaders. But the report was downplayed in Jerusalem because the White House official quoted was not named and because Obama is vacationing in Hawaii.

Netanyahu met with Pollard's wife Esther for 45 minutes Monday, updating her on his efforts to bring about her husband's release. The meeting was described as "good and constructive" and Netanyahu was seen as showing "absolute determination" to bring Pollard to Israel.

"He should have been released long ago," Netanyahu told the Likud faction at the Knesset. "I think this is understood by everyone here and I believe it is also increasingly understood in the United States."

Unlike at Sunday's cabinet meeting when Netanyahu downplayed American spying on Israel, he told the faction that he had asked for clarification on the matter. His national security adviser Yossi Cohen is expected to discuss the issue with his American counterpart Susan Rice.

"There are things that are forbidden to do, that are unacceptable," Netanyahu said.

Isn't it amazing how much Netanyahu's position has changed since Sunday when he realized how popular releasing Pollard is here in Israel.... Hmmm....

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, Jonathan Pollard

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:40 PM