US to release Pollard as inducement for fourth tranche of terrorists? Don't bet on it
The sources, who spoke as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry prepared to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders, said under the proposed arrangement that Jonathan Pollard, a former U.S. Navy analyst caught spying for Israel in the 1980s, could be released by mid-April.
As you read what I'm about to say, please keep in mind that I think Jonathan Pollard should have been released a long time ago.In addition, Israel would go ahead with a promised release of a fourth group of Palestinians, among the 104 it pledged to free in a deal that led to the renewal of peace talks last July. Another group of jailed Palestinians would also go free - and the peace talks would be extended beyond an April 29 deadline, the sources said.
First, there is NO WAY I would agree to a deal where Obama says 'release the terrorists now and I'll release Pollard in two weeks.' Why would Netanyahu agree to such a deal? He was already screwed by Clinton 15 years ago when Clinton promised him that Pollard would be released if Netanyahu signed the Why Why Wye deal. After Netanyahu signed, Clinton reneged. Many American Jews considered Clinton a great friend of Israel. Does anyone consider Obama a great friend of Israel?
Second. what is the 'another group of 'Palestinians''? Whom does that include? How many? Will Netanyahu's cabinet (which would have to approve any release of more than the 104 terrorists to which Netanyahu agreed in July and which would have to approve any release of 'Israeli Arabs') approve that 'other group'? Will it approve the release of 'Israeli Arabs'?
Third, will Pollard himself agree to such a deal? Pollard has said time and time again that he will not agree to be released in exchange for terrorists. Has anyone asked him whether he changed his mind?
Finally, as much as this deal smells rotten, it's very typical Obama. Every President since Bill Clinton has held onto Jonathan Pollard as a bargaining chip to make Israel give up something big (like land) in exchange for Pollard. Leave it to Obama (and I say this as someone who would love to see Pollard released) to release Pollard in exchange for six more months of meaningless negotiations.
Bottom line: No, I don't believe this is going to happen.
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Bill Clinton, Binyamin Netanyahu, Jonathan Pollard, Palestinian terrorists
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:58 PM
4 Comments:
Oh, how I wish that you were wrong, Carl, re Jonathan Pollard's release...but tragically, they are just using him, with no intentions of actually releasing him. And what I would like to see is a picture of just how Jonathan Pollard looks NOW, after so many illnesses and so many years.
So did Pollard sneak up on an elderly WWII survivor of, say Iwo Jima, and beat him to death with an iron bar? Don't think so. Let's say, a meshel, Pollard had proclaimed that his Zionist beliefs compelled him, as an American citizen to plan, pulling random examples out a hat, a suicide bombing of a pizzeria, or a bus, or a christening. Would Obama release *that* Pollard to get Israel to release Arabs who had murdered its citizens in cold blood?
Not even Obama.
Even were this to happen which is unlikely, the US would grant him parole and bar him from leaving the country for life, holding re incarceration over his head forever. But on the whole this scenario is very unlikely. This is the US and the US is committed to seeing Pollard dying in prison.
To Carl in Jerusalem: what does your years of marriage and how many kids you have got to do with Pollard?
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