Shapiro: Pollard's Future is Unclear

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro tells Knesset committee members he
“can't speculate” on Jonathan Pollard's future.

By Chana Ya'ar Arutz 7 First Publish: 1/25/2012, 9:30 PM
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/152113

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro says he is unable to predict what will
happen with imprisoned Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard.

Shapiro, who met Wednesday with the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense
Committee in Jerusalem, was asked by the MK about the possibility that
President Barack Obama might commute Pollard's sentence to time served.

But the U.S. ambassador told the Israeli lawmakers that he “can't speculate”
on Pollard, and frankly does not know what will become of him.

Vice President Joe Biden eventually met with American Jewish leaders over
the issue last year, after he was pressured by a group during the annual
Jewish holiday gathering held in Washington D.C. who made it clear that a
consensus exists on this issue across the spectrum in the U.S. Jewish
community .

Pollard, a Jewish American, was sentenced to life in prison 27 years ago on
a single charge of passing classified information to an ally – Israel.

MK Meir Sheetrit also asked the ambassador why MK Michael Ben Ari was unable
to obtain a visa to enter the U.S., while Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejaad and Hamas terrorists have been able to do so.

Shapiro replied that he is not responsible for these matters.