U.S. Officials Deny Preparations for Release of Israeli Spy

The U.S. Department of Justice and the White House reacted to a report published in the Wall Street Journal regarding the 'imminent' release of an Israeli spy from U.S. prison. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, July 23, that following Iran's nuclear agreement with the P5+1 group, the possibility of Jonathan Pollard's release in the fall is now being discussed. According to the newspaper, 'the likelihood of Pollard's release is greater than ever.' The newspaper cited several unnamed 'U.S. officials' stating that the Obama administration is preparing the steps for the release of this spy. The Wall Street Journal linked the potential pardon of Mr. Pollard to the nuclear agreement made between Iran and global powers, stating that the U.S. would release Pollard to mitigate Israel's harsh criticisms of this agreement. However, the U.S. Department of Justice officially announced that this spy would be released after completing his thirty-year prison sentence. The White House also stated that the release of this spy is contingent upon the decision of the prisoner pardon committee. According to the Israeli news website Ynet, at the same time, Alistair Baskey, spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, stated on Friday that the prisoner release committee would determine the status of this spy based on existing guidelines. Any prisoner sentenced to life in the U.S. can apply for a pardon after serving thirty full years; the Israeli spy's imprisonment in the U.S. will reach thirty years this fall. However, according to Alistair Baskey, 'there is no connection between the fate of this spy Pollard and U.S. foreign policy.' Meanwhile, the editor of ABC News also tweeted on Friday that 'U.S. officials have confirmed Pollard's release to this network.' Jonathan Pollard, a 61-year-old American Jew, was an officer in the U.S. Navy's military intelligence unit in the early 1980s. He was pursued by the FBI on November 21, 1985, and fled with his wife towards the Israeli embassy in Washington, but the then Israeli ambassador, at the order of then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, did not allow the embassy gate to open for Pollard; the closed gate allowed FBI agents to arrest Pollard and his wife. In the 1987 trial, his wife was sentenced to five years in prison, but Pollard received a life sentence. The Israeli government at the time was initially unwilling to accept responsibility for assigning the espionage mission to Pollard and distanced itself from him, but simultaneously with his trial in 1987, it issued an apology to the U.S. In 1995, Israel granted Pollard citizenship and an Israeli passport, and in 1998 officially accepted responsibility for assigning the espionage mission to him. Israeli governments, after accepting responsibility, sought to convince U.S. presidents to release Pollard over the next two decades. However, none of the previous U.S. presidents, including George Bush, were willing to pardon Pollard. Barack Obama also rejected his pardon request several years ago. George Tenet, then CIA director, along with many former secretaries of state and defense, strongly opposed Pollard's release, stating that his freedom poses ongoing risks to U.S. security due to the information he possesses. U.S. officials have stated that Pollard's motivation was financial, as some evidence suggested he attempted to sell classified information to South Africa and Pakistan as well. However, Pollard claimed in court that he spied out of his feelings for Israel and an 'ideology' against his homeland. Pollard is the only American in U.S. history to be sentenced to life imprisonment for espionage against his own country. In this context, U.S. officials state that there is no relationship between Jonathan Pollard's pardon and the Iran nuclear agreement. Strengthening the likelihood of the Israeli spy's release in the U.S. due to the progress of the peace process. Israel denied the espionage allegations on U.S. soil.