By COLlive reporter
Free, at last.
Jonathan Pollard, an American citizen convicted for spying for Israel, has been granted his parole after 30 years in prison, his attorney confirmed on Tuesday.
Pollard, the 60-year-old former Naval intelligence analyst, is due to be released in November 21.
He was sentenced to life in prison in 1987, two years after he was caught trying to gain asylum in the Israeli embassy in Washington, AP notes.
“We are grateful and delighted that our client will be released soon,” said a statement from the lawyers, Eliot Lauer and Jacques Semmelman.
They said the decision to grant him parole, which followed a July 7 hearing, was “not connected to recent developments in the Middle East” — an apparent reference to a recent nuclear deal that the U.S. struck with Iran and that Israel had bitterly opposed.
White House and other officials have denied that Pollard’s planned release is in any way tied to the Iran nuclear deal. And Israeli officials have said while they would welcome Pollard’s release, it would not ease their opposition to the Iran agreement.
What if they’re messing with his emotions, just to bully him! What if they’re doing this for “fun!”
Wonderful news!
I just love the headline, “Israeli Spy Jonathan Pollard”
Always trying to stir up controversy
bh !such great news!
MAZALTOV!
keeping jonathan locked up in BARRAKS…
Great NEWS !!! We all going out!!!
He is not serving his full sentence; he will be released on parole once he becomes eligible, after 30 years.
Every Jew’s first duty is to his own nation, Am Yisroel. That comes before any other obligation to anyone else. The information he gave Israel saved Jewish lives, and that is all that matters. #34, he has to stay in America because if he leaves the country he could start breaking the law and there would be nothing the parole commission could do about it. They could revoke his parole but he wouldn’t come back and Israel would not extradite him. So they want to see for 5 years that he is keeping the terms of his parole, and if… Read more »
why does he have to stay in the States for 5 more years..can’t he just come home to Israel and be with his wife and get on with it, a new life..why another 5 years here..anyone can explain?
we just need to open our eyes and do teshuvah,the rebbe sichos,as he said it
HE IS SERVING HIS FULL SENTENCE WHICH ENDS NOV. 31
I, a registered Democrat am voting Republican in November unless Rubashkin is also freed.
He spied on America for a foreign government, for MONEY. If Israel cared so much for him, they would have granted him asylum in their embassy then. Evidently they didn’t…
Moshiach is coming now!!!
Your perspective on why people are excited is distorted. We are happy because this one particular Jew is finally free, not because we think that this in and of itself will serve some other purpose or lead the government to perform less injustice in future. We see it as a positive sign from
G-d and we are just plain joyful that Jonathan Pollard is free. If that bothers you, join the rest of the world- they don’t like it either.
mazol tov mazol tov
Tov LaShamayim, Tov La Brios!
Amazing news!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afu1grVMJmQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nFNpZWrJio
FIVE SHORT IMPORTANT POLLARD FACTS * He spied for Israel against America 30 years ago and was sentenced to jail for life, with the eligibility of parole. He was to be automatically considered for Parole this November, every other time during the thirty years he had to apply for parole. * This date was set 30 years ago, President Barack Obama didn’t decide on this date today or any day. President Obama is NOT freeing Pollard. Although he can block Pollard’s release. * Pollard’s release has nothing to do with the Iran deal. EXCEPT that is reminds the American public… Read more »
Why would CNN not call him that? It’s what he was.
Because his “crime” was a mitzvah, so he’s just like all those Lubavitchers who were imprisoned in Russia for doing mitzvos.
0bama had nothing to do with this. The parole commission decided this on its own, because when he was sentenced it was automatic that he had to be considered for parole after 30 years. (Federal parole was abolished in 1984, but only for crimes committed after 1-Nov-1987. So no, Sholom Rubashkin can’t be paroled.)
We’re excited because a fellow yid is being released.
It’s true that a lot of other yidden on jail, and we daven that they be released as well.
However, every time one of our brothers is released were are happy.
One more yid who’s free!
I would pay to hear him. I hope he adjusts well to “freedom.”
November 21 in the coming year is tes kislev, the birthday and yarzheit of the Mittler Rebbe and that night is yud ksilev, his day of liberation from imprisonment. May Mr. Pollard use his freedom wisely and increase in Torah, including the study of chassidus. May we all be freed from this galus with the coming of Moshiach now!
November 21st also happens to be yud tes Kislev!!!!!!
Although from what I understand he will be allowed to one day early because of shabbos
Funny how CNN insists Pollard is an “Israeli spy.”..
Moshiach now
It’s all the same – because they are yidden. Hashem should
have rachmanus and they should be out NOW! They are taking so much for all the Jewish people
FREE SHOLOM MORDECHAI RUBASHKIN!!
I’m curious why everyone is getting so excited over this. There are thousands of Jews sitting in jail for lesser crimes.
Is everyone so ignorant not to see that this is a huge red herring?
He was either going way going to be released then. That is the standard that they are released at 30 years
Mazal tov!
Why to wait?
Should be NOW!!!
He is not allowed to go to Israel (he is an Israeli citizen) for 5 years. That is ridiculous.
This is the best news, BH.
No:1 – elections are in November. The democrats are trying to curry favor with the Jewish community. As you say best news irrespective of reason.
May Jonathan be returned to his loved ones and regain his health.
that they are not planning on letting himn out earlier than sentenced…
NOW OBAMA SHOULD SO HOW SINCERE HE IS THAT THIS WAS NOT FOR ULTERIOR MOTIVES AND FREE SHOLOM. MODCHA RUBASHKIN OBAMA JUST FREED 89 CONVICTED DRUG FELONS BECAUSE THEIR CRIMES WERE NOT VIOLENT AND THEIR LIFE SENTENCES DID NOT FIT THE CRIMES.
BS”D
No 1
He’s doing it for good PR- Pollard and then Rubashkin
H-shem protect him and keep him safe. This whole thing was such a travesty I can’t stomach it.
The greatest news that I heard today. Irrespective of why Obama is doing this.