Weekly Commentary: President Obama fails test: commitment to peace process
less important than incarceration of Pollard
Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 2 December 2010

Before the first freeze ended the Obama administration was advised that they
could literally force Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to agree to extend
the freeze for three additional months by offering Mr. Netanyahu to free
Jonathan Pollard in exchange for the freeze extension.

This proposal, that was first raised in my weekly commentary and then
expanded on in an 18 September item (repeated below) quickly took on a life
of its own - being discussed at length in the Israeli media and then around
the world.

The underlying veracity of the observation that such an exchange, if offered
by President Obama, would readily pass in the Netanyahu Cabinet, was
confirmed and reconfirmed by the Israeli media.

The Obama administration was aware of all of this. And I can personally
attest to the fact that they were also aware of assessments that, as bizarre
as it may sound, Prime Minister Netanyahu had absolutely no intention for
Israel to present the idea, but that he would have no choice but to accept
such an offer if it came from the White House (in part because if he
rejected it the rejection would undoubtedly ultimately be leaked and used
against him).

It would have been an easy move for President Obama.

A move made even easier by a flurry of developments that dramatically
transformed the release of Jonathan Pollard from a humanitarian issue to a
question of justice.

But President Obama opted not to extend the freeze.

He would rather continue the incarceration of a man who should, by all
counts, be released simply as a matter of justice, than extend the building
freeze.

He has now shown his real cards.

The world now knows just how miniscule President Obama's commitment to the
"peace process" truly is.

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Observation: Proposed Pollard-Freeze Extension Exchange Tests Commitment Of
Obama Administration To Peace Process

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 18 September 2010

IMRA understands that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu would have no
problem getting his cabinet to approve a three month extension of the
settlement construction freeze in exchange for the release of Jonathan
Pollard. Just as important - if not more - none of the parties in the
ruling coalition are expected to threaten to leave the government in the
event that such a deal is implemented.

In the coming days we will see just how seriously interested the Obama
administration is in extending the settlement construction freeze for
another three months.

They certainly "talk the talk" when it comes to lecturing Israel about the
need to make "sacrifices for peace"

But now the shoe is on the other foot.

Is President Obama willing to make a "sacrifice for peace"?

President Obama can release Jonathan Pollard from prison (where he has
already served several fold the sentence others have for similar offenses)
with the stroke of a pen in a move that is not subject to either review or
oversight.

The proposed Pollard-Freeze Extension exchange is probably the most straight
forward test of an American administration's commitment to the peace process
since the very start of Oslo.

A deal that requires no more than a thirty second phone call from Washington
to set into motion.

By the way: now that the proposed exchange trade is public, what will J
Street and other American "pro peace" groups that have no qualms publicly
pressing Israel to "make sacrifice for peace" do? Will they publicly press
President Obama to offer the exchange?

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719 Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http:www.imra.org.il