New York, NY, April 1, 2014 … The early release of Jonathan Pollard should be based on humanitarian grounds and on the strong bilateral relationship between the United States and Israel, and not intertwined with any potential resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said today.
Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:
Jonathan Pollard has served out his punishment for his crime, and given the 28 years that have passed, the decline of his health, and his potential eligibility for parole in another year, now is the time for the United States to release him, both on humanitarian grounds and in light of the important bilateral relationship between Israel and the United States.
While the time has come for clemency, Pollard’s release should not be intertwined with any potential resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. There are enormous complications to the current negotiations now taking place between the Israelis, the Palestinians and the United States, without introducing this factor as another issue on the table.
We hope that the Obama Administration will take the step of releasing Pollard on humanitarian grounds without seeing him as a potential “bargaining chip” to pressure Israel to continue to negotiate in the absence of a true commitment on behalf of the Palestinians to make the difficult choices and decisions that would facilitate a lasting peace with the State of Israel.