Obama should release Pollard if he seeks reelection, chief rabbi says

Israel's Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger tells congregants in a Saturday sermon that Jews who voted for Obama are disappointed and the U.S. president should release Pollard as a sign of good faith.

Israel's Chief Rabbi, Yona Metzger, said in a Sabbath sermon that if U.S. President Barack Obama seeks reelection, he should release Jonathan Pollard, Israel Radio reported on Sunday.

In the sermon, which the chief rabbi delivered at Yeshurun Synagogue in Jerusalem on Saturday, he told congregants that there was a feeling that many Jews that had supported Obama in the past election are disappointed, much of it due to Obama's indifference to Pollard.

Pollard was sentenced to life in prison in 1987 on charges of spying on the U.S. for Israel. He is incarcerated at a federal jail in North Carolina.

"If Obama wishes to dictate Israeli policy, he must show that he has mutual interests with Israel," Israel Radio quoted Metzger as saying. The rabbi added that these "mutual interests" should be shown through releasing Pollard.

In January the Prime Minister's Office sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama requesting the release of convicted spy Jonathan Pollard for humanitarian reasons.

This marked the first formal request by Israel for the release of Pollard.

"Even though Israel was in no way directing its intelligence efforts against the United States, its actions were wrong and wholly unacceptable," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in the letter. "Both Mr. Pollard and the Government of Israel have repeatedly expressed remorse for these actions, and Israel will continue to abide by its commitment that such wrongful actions will never be repeated."

Pollard's health has reportedly been in decline, and he has been hospitalized on several occasions. Last month the convicted spy cancelled a meeting with Israel Social Affairs Minister Moshe Kahlon because he was feeling poorly.

After Netanyahu announced his decision to send the letter, State Department Spokesman Philip Crowley responded by saying only that Pollard currently remains in prison.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu has raised this from time to time, both in his current incarnation and in his previous incarnation,' Crowley said, adding that "all I can tell you is Jonathan Pollard remains in prison."

הרב הראשי לישראל, הגר"י מצגר, אמר בדרשת שבת הגדול שנשא בבית כנסת ישורון בירושלים, כי ״אם הנשיא אובאמה חפץ בקדנציה נוספת עליו לשחרר את פולארד לאלתר״.

הרב הראשי הדגיש, כי זו איננה נבואה, אלא תחושה הנובעת מהעובדה ש״יהודים רבים שתמכו בו מאוכזבים מהאדישות שלו מול פניותיהם של הגורמים הרבים שפנו אליו בעניין, וביניהם ראשי הממשל בתקופה בה נכלא פולארד, אשר מודים כי כבר אין סיבה להחזיקו יותר״.

הרב מצגר אמר: ״בטרם יכפה עלינו אובאמה מהלכים מדיניים עליו להוכיח את הערבות ההדדית והידידות עליהן הוא מצהיר באמצעות שחרור פולארד״