PM Barak & MK Ze'evi Letters: No Bank Account for Pollard

Justice4JP Release - February 15, 2006

A canard which has dogged the Pollard case since its inception is the lie
that Jonathan Pollard either received money from the Israeli Government, or
is receiving money from the Israeli Government, or that a secret bank
account exists and money is being put away for Pollard by the Israeli
Government.

All of the above claims are simply lies which have at various times been
leaked to the media by "unnamed Government officials" in order to discredit
Pollard and undermine public support for him.

These lies have become so routine that -even though they both know the
truth - the State's Defense Counsel had no shame in introducing such lies
into its recent response to Pollard's appeal to the High Court of Israel to
be recognized as a Prisoner of Zion; and the High Court of Israel brazenly
accepted these lies at face value, without a shred of evidence!

The truth is: neither Jonathan Pollard, nor his wife, Esther Pollard, has
ever received a cent from the Government of Israel. Not now. Not in the
past. Not ever. And there is no secret bank account for Pollard for future
use.

Some years ago, anxious to put an end to these lies about Pollard once and
for all, Minister Rechavaam Ze'evi, then head of the Knesset Lobby for
Jonathan Pollard, wrote a letter to Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ehud
Barak in which he asked a series of questions to clarify the matter. PM
Barak responded and unequivocally laid to rest all of the lies about Pollard
having received money from Israel and about the existence of a secret bank
account in Israel.

The correspondence between Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ehud Barak
and MK Rechavaam Ze'evi (translated below) occurred in March of 2000,
following the publication of these lies in an authoritative-sounding article
in Ha'aretz newspaper. The translation of these letters and the original
documents are being published on the web for the first time. English
translation of both letters follows below.

Click here to see the Original Documents.

See Also:
Yediot Achronot: Defense Ministry Says Pollard Didn't Get Money - July 16,
2004

Minster Ze'evi's Letter to PM Barak
(Translated to English by J4JP)

The Knesset

Member of Knesset

1 of Adar II, 5760
March 8, 2000
Letter no M-8932

To Defense Minister Ehud Barak
The Kyria
Tel Aviv

Shalom rav! (Warm greetings!)

RE: Bank Account for Jonathan Pollard

I have learned from the media that "Jonathan Pollard's bank account in
Israel is enriched every month by triple his last salary at the time he was
active and is linked to the rate of the dollar and to the cost of living."
(Ha'aretz 31/01/00).

I would appreciate receiving your responses to the following questions:

1) Is this information true?

2) Has this information been shared with Jonathan Pollard?

3) Who is the government official responsible for depositing money into this
account?

4) Who is authorized to access this account?

(signed)

With blessing
MK Rechavaam Ze'evi

PM/ DM Ehud Barak's Response to MK Ze'vi
(Translated to English by J4JP)

The Ministry of Defense

Minister of Defense

The Kyria
10 of Adar II, 5760
March 17, 2000.

To: MK Rechavaam Ze'evi
The Knesset
Jerusalem

Shalom rav! (Warm greetings!)

Re: Jonathan Pollard

In response to your letter M-8932 of March 8, 2000.

The information which was published regarding a bank account in Israel for
Pollard, is not true. Nevertheless, the State has informed the High Court of
Justice, in response to a petition submitted by Mr. Pollard, that it will
not evade its responsibilities to take care of Pollard, when he is released
from prison.

(signed)
with blessing
Ehud Barak
Prime Minister and Defense Minister
__________________

See also:

Hebrew Original Documents: PM Barak & MK Ze'evi Letters:
No Bank Account for Pollard http://www.jonathanpollard.org/

Yediot Achronot: Defense Ministry Says Pollard Didn't Get Money - July 2004
www.jonathanpollard.org/2004/081604.htm