Makor Rishon - August 17, 2007
[Originally published in Hebrew and English August 7, 2002]
[provided by J4JP]

JONATHAN POLLARD MOURNS IN THE PIT. He mourns silently, without tears. He
mourns not for himself, but for Joseph Ha'Tzaddik who was thrown into the
pit, and for all the subsequent "Josephs" who were thrown into all kinds of
pits. Jonathan is the current "Joseph" through which our nation is being
tested. He is mourning for his brothers' still-unrectified sin of selling
the original Joseph.

JONATHAN REFLECTS IN THE PIT. He has been there for almost twenty-two years.
That is a long time for reflection. He still asks the same questions that
remain unanswered. Why is his sentence so much more severe than anyone else
who committed a similar offense in the U.S.? Why is he the only one in the
history of the U.S. to get a life sentence for passing classified
information to an ally? And why is his life sentence more severe than even
those who spied for enemy nations?

Jonathan was never accused, indicted or convicted of treason. The only
charge against him was one count of passing classified information to an
ally, with no intent to harm the U.S. So why did he receive a life sentence,
a punishment that the U.S. reserves for traitors? He passed information to
Israel which the United States was obligated to share with Israel according
to a 1983 letter of understanding signed by the two nations. Why did the
U.S. blindside Israel?

Why is Jonathan being singled out for such severe treatment? Why are his
cleared attorneys not permitted to see the classified portions of his own
court docket? Why is such a terrible injustice being perpetrated against
him? Why?

JONATHAN ACHES IN THE PIT. He is aching for his brothers who threw him into
it. He remembers that they promised him: "You are our brother. We will
protect you. If you ever need us, just go straight to the Israeli Embassy in
Washington and let us handle everything. Yet when he sought refuge at the
Embassy, as he recalls all too well, they threw him out - right into the
waiting arms of the law. Not only did his brothers deliver Jonathan up, they
also provided the documents that were used to incriminate him.

JONATHAN TREMBLES IN THE PIT. In the course of his 22 years of incarceration
he remembers every one of the numerous episodes of physical privation and
pain. He still recalls his first days at Springfield, a prison facility for
the criminally insane - he was not a patient. They stripped him of his
clothes and his glasses and threw him into a cold, empty cell with nothing
in it but a hard metal slab for a bed. He was held in freezing cold
temperatures, completely naked, for the entire year of his stay there. Once
a month, federal agents would come to the facility to interrogate Jonathan.
They would throw a blanket over him so that they would not have to see his
nakedness during the interrogation. They would show him a list of prominent
Jewish American names and tell him that if he wanted to get out of
Springfield to put an "X" beside any of the names as his co-conspirators.
Jonathan would not cooperate. He would not sell out his brothers. Not even
to save himself.

Even now, Jonathan is still in a pit - the pit of life a life sentence.
Other prisoners come and go. The murderers, the rapists, the thieves, the
con-men, the drug dealers and baby-rapers, they all go home. Only Jonathan
remains. Unlike long-term prisoners in Israel, Jonathan has never had a
furlough; he is never permitted to be alone with his wife; he is completely
bereft of the opportunity to have children; he does not receive kosher food
and is not even allowed to learn in Hebrew. His only ray of light is his
beloved wife, Esther, who visits him regularly with great devotion.

JONATHAN IS ABANDONED IN THE PIT. In 1985 when he was arrested by the U.S.,
Israel promptly abandoned him by lying and denying his official connection
to the Jewish State. It took 10 years and a series of lawsuits before Israel
officially acknowledged him in 1995, granting him citizenship. It took
another lawsuit and 3 more years before Israel admitted in 1998 that
Jonathan was an official agent of the State -- as if this were some sort of
gesture! It was no gesture. These were hard-won victories for truth which
Jonathan fought for, both in and out of court, for over a decade! All of
Jonathan's tasking orders as an agent were approved by the head of Israel
Military Intelligence. Why hasn't the State of Israel moved Earth and high
Heaven to free him? Why has it missed so many opportunities? Could there be
any greater injustice?

JONATHAN IS DEFAMED IN THE PIT. Over the years, self-serving Israeli
officials have leaked cruel lies to the media which undermine Jonathan's
fight for freedom. American Jewish leaders do the same in attempt to
distance themselves from the case. The Jewish leaders all seem to
conveniently "forget" that Jonathan is an Israeli agent in peril. In 1998
the government of Israel admitted that Jonathan was a bona fide agent. But
when it suits their purposes, Jewish officials still exploit the old lies
that Jonathan was a rogue agent and a mercenary! They lie about his
personality and his mental state; they lie about his wife; they lie about
his worth. They even make a deal to "trade" Jonathan for 750 Palestinian
terrorists with blood on their hands. The terrorists are released, but no
one in Israel remembers to collect Jonathan! Why was that deal ever made? Is
that what Jonathan is worth in their eyes? Does he have blood on his hands?
Him??

JONATHAN POLLARD IS EXPLOITED IN THE PIT. In Pollard's 16th year of
incarceration, the Israeli Government and the American Jewish leadership
expended all its political energy to secure a pardon for an American
billionaire criminal fugitive from the law, who gave generously to their
causes. They used Pollard as the "throw-away" to get the pardon and left
Israel's agent to rot in prison. When the deep involvement of the Israel
Government and the American Jewish leadership in this scheme was revealed,
it caused sufficient embarrassment so that press statements were made
pledging to "now redouble efforts for Pollard." No such efforts have ever
occurred.

JONATHAN AGONIZES IN THE PIT. He agonizes over his brothers who used him and
then turned their backs on him. He tried every way he could think of to get
vital information to Israel legally, but failed. In fear for the Jewish
lives that might be lost, Jonathan broke the law by giving the information
to Israel. He deserved to be punished, but surely the punishment ought to
fit the crime. Thanks to Jonathan , Israel learned about terror attacks
being planned against its citizens and thanks to Jonathan Israel learned
that Syria, Iraq, Libya and Iran were preparing atomic, chemical and
biological weapons for use against it. Today there are gas masks and sealed
rooms in every home in Israel, thanks to Jonathan.

For this, Jonathan was singled out for the harshest treatment that the
American Justice System could dish out, and Israel never said a word. Israel
never protested even when the Americans broke every promise they made,
including the promise not to use the documents Israel returned against
Pollard; and the promise to free Jonathan as an integral part of the Wye
Accords. Even when Michael Schwartz, the non-Jewish American Navy officer
who spied for Saudi Arabia, got not a day in prison for the same offense
that landed Jonathan a life sentence, Israel never protested.

Once a year in the Knesset, they make grand speeches about Jonathan, give
wonderful press statements, and hold photo-ops ... but 22 years later
Jonathan is still in the pit. Sometimes government officials even make
promises. But they have yet to keep a single one. When Pollard's name
appears in the Israeli press, it is not for his benefit, but so that they
can exploit his plight for unrelated and unholy purposes. Jonathan is
suffering in the pit; but what hurts him most of all is the way his own
brothers have betrayed him.

JONATHAN REMEMBERS IN THE PIT. His brothers forgot him, but he did not
forget them. He still cares deeply about Israel. He loves Israel. He worries
about Israel. He is a very bright man, a man of rare genius. He is
constantly thinking about the future of Israel, searching for solutions to
resolve the country's energy crisis, her economic situation and security
dilemmas. From his scant resources - neither he nor his wife receive a cent
from the Government of Israel and they are in dire financial straits - he
contributes to charitable organizations in Israel; he prays for those
wounded in terrorist attacks; and sends his wife to comfort the mourners of
terror victims. Dear brothers! Jonathan does not forget us! How can we
forget him!

JONATHAN WEEPS IN THE PIT. He weeps tears of blood. For almost twenty-two
years Jonathan has been in the pit. He touches the cold walls, touches the
darkness, touches his aching head and his diseased sinuses. He thinks when
will I get out of here? He no longer believes in salvation coming from the
Chief Butler or the Chief Baker, from this Minister from America or that one
from Israel -- but only from the Master of the Universe.

Yet he is not alone in the pit. G-d is with him. G-d is his Rock and
Fortress, shining His countenance upon him and sustaining him through it
all. Even in the pit, Jonathan remains righteous like Joseph Ha'tzaddik.
There are negative influences all around him seeking to corrupt his soul,
but he holds fast to his faith and to the truth. G-d is always with him in
the pit.

MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE! PLEASE HEAR AND ANSWER OUR PRAYERS! "As for our
brethren of the whole House of Israel, who are in distress and in captivity,
on land or on sea, may G-d have mercy on them and deliver them from dire
straits to relief, from darkness to light, and from servitude to redemption,
speedily and very soon!" Amain! (Excerpt from Shacharit prayers).

MAY HE WHO BROUGHT JOSEPH OUT OF THE PIT, BRING JONATHAN OUT AS WELL! And
may there soon be fulfilled through the brave and courageous Jonathan, the
words: "O L-rd, You have raised my soul from She'ol [Hell]. You have kept me
alive, that I should not descend to the Pit." (Psalms 30:4) Amain! Ken yihi
ratzon!

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Biographical Note
Rabbi Shlomo Aviner is the author of over thirty books on Jewish Law,
Philosophy and Biblical commentary. He is regularly featured in many
newspapers and magazines, commenting on current events and topics of Jewish
interest. Rabbi Aviner is currently Rosh Yeshiva of Ateret Kohanim in the
Old City of Jerusalem and Rabbi of Bet-El.

See Also:
Original English publication of the above article (Aug. 7, 2002)
http://www.jonathanpollard.org/2002/080702.htm
Original Hebrew publication of the above article (Aug. 7, 2002)
http://www.freepollard.net/inside/NewsInside.asp?itemId=328
Makor Rishon Ad (Aug. 17, 2007): Ellul is Here and Jonathan Remains in the
Pit Click here for pdf ; Click here for jpeg
Where is Jonathan? - Rabbi Shlomo Aviner
The Facts Page
The Court Case Page
Terror in The U.S. and the Jonathan Pollard Case - Larry Dub Esq.