IMRA - Friday, December 7, 2007 23 Years and 6,311 Rockets

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Friday, December 7, 2007

23 Years and 6,311 Rockets

23 Years and 6,311 Rockets
by Shmuel Sackett - Manhigut Yehudit - December 1, 2007
JUSTICE FOR JONATHAN POLLARD

A few weeks ago, the State of Israel commemorated two very sad
anniversaries. On November 21st Jonathan Pollard began his 23rd year in
prison and on that same day the 6,311th rocket fell on the Israeli city of
Sderot.

23 years in prison. 6,311 rockets. Is there a connection?

There most certainly is and you don't have to open your eyes too wide to see
it. The reality of the connection between these two events is right in front
of us. Simply put, the government of Israel wants Jonathan Pollard to remain
in jail and that same government wants the Arab enemy to shower Sderot with
rockets.

Yes, I realize what I just wrote and to make certain it was understood, I
will write it again in even clearer words: The Israeli government wants
Jonathan Pollard to die in jail (G-d forbid). Not only is it not doing
anything to help him, it is actually hurting him!

A similar claim can be made about Sderot. The government is not just
allowing the rockets to fall -- it is actually helping the terrorists
manufacture them!
Think I'm nuts? (Hey, don't answer that!) Consider the following:

A few weeks ago, after 100 rockets were fired into Sderot over a three-day
period, the Israeli government ordered an electricity blackout in the area
of Gaza from where the rockets were shot. It must be stated that the State
of Israel supplies the electricity -- free of charge -- to Gaza and was
therefore able to quickly "shut the switch". The formula was simple; No
electricity -- no rockets. For two days there was quiet. Not one rocket was
fired! Normal life began once again for the men, women and children of
Sderot.

On the third day, the Israeli government changed its mind. The official
statement was that this method represented a horrible concept called
"communal punishment", since several "innocent" Gazans were negatively
affected by the electricity blackout. Prime Minister Olmert immediately
ordered the electricity turned back on. The Arab response was simple; within
one hour - five rockets were fired on Sderot!

Let's take this even one step further. Every one of these rockets is made
from metal and home-made materials such as flour, water and sugar. Most
people reading this article make delicious cakes and cookies from these
ingredients (minus the metal, of course) but Arabs in Gaza use these
everyday ingredients to manufacture bombs and kill Jews.

Now comes the $64,000 question: Where do the Arabs of Gaza get those
ingredients from? Answer: From Israel!!! That's right -- WE give them the
raw materials when we know full well that a significant part of them will be
used to manufacture rockets and wreack havoc on thousands of Jewish lives!
We give them everything they need and then supply the electricity to the
factory to build them. This is not a crazy "conspiracy" theory. It is 100%
true. Feel free to check it out, if you don't believe me.

The same is true with Jonathan Pollard. Two top ministers in the Israeli
government, Ehud Barak and Rafi Eitan, were directly involved in the Pollard
affair and those men do not want him out. Neither does President Shimon
Peres who runs around the entire world meeting with global leaders to
discuss everything under the sun except the name "Pollard". And of course,
neither does Prime Minister Olmert who -- in a measure of "good faith" -
released over 500 terrorists since he took office but never once thought of
asking Bush to release Pollard.

These words were spoken by Jonathan Pollard himself in a November 2007
interview given to Israel's largest newspaper, Yediot Aharonot. The
interview was conducted by journalist Yaniv Halily who raised the following
point; "All of the American officials that I spoke with asked, 'How is it
that Israel is not taking any meaningful action to free the agent who worked
on behalf of the State and in its name? How can the State abandon a man who
risked his life to save the lives of Israeli citizens?"

The article continues; "Pollard feels this way as well. 'There are people
and institutions in Israel that are trying to save their own blood by
spilling mine. We are talking about people who were thoroughly involved in
my operation. If I were returned home they would be very embarrassed and
perhaps find themselves subject to legal action. I am talking about
politicians who have denied involvement in the espionage operation, when
they knew every single detail of it. People like Shimon Peres, Rafi Eitan,
Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert have a personal agenda against me. They resent
the embarrassment that I caused Israel and are furious that I am still
alive."

As you can see, to these "leaders", Jonathan Pollard is a nuisance and they
would love nothing more than to have the whole affair permanently forgotten.

Unfortunately, however, this deletion of Pollard extends way beyond Peres
and Olmert. For the last month, several people in New Jersey tried
scheduling a speaking engagement for me in Teaneck on November 21st -- the
anniversary of Pollard's incarceration. The goal was to speak about Pollard
and find out what could be done to help this heroic Jew. Three Orthodox
synagogues in Teaneck responded that the event was "too political". In one
of those cases, the Rabbi agreed to hold the event, only to have it
cancelled by the board of directors. When the Rabbi called to inform us of
the change he apologized profusely, admitted his embarrassment and
bewilderment but said there was simply nothing he could do.

An evening to help Jonathan Pollard was "too political"??? How sad!
Dearest friends, we are in trouble. When the weak, un-Jewish concepts that
have plagued Israeli leaders for 50 years begin creeping into our local
synagogues, Heaven help us!

This must be stopped now! Don't sit quietly while your leaders set you on a
course for destruction. Don't believe the lies from Olmert and Peres about
how they are trying to stop the rockets but cannot. Don't become sheep who
follow leaders blindly and accept everything they are told. Need I remind
you of the many leaders who told their followers and students to remain in
Europe in the 1940's and that everything would be ok? Don't make the same
mistake they did!

Demand answers from your leaders. Demand that they explain their
hypocritical behavior. Demand to know why after 23 painful years the name
"Jonathan Pollard" is still virtually non-existent. Demand to know why Arab
leaders are proud of their heritage, are never willing to compromise and
never forget their prisoners while Jewish leaders are weak, embarrassed of
their heavenly mission and quick to leave the fallen behind.

Shmuel Sackett is the International Director of Manhigut Yehudit, Jewish
Leadership Faction of the Likud Party.