MEPE

[HBendor]

AMBASSADOR APOLOGIZES, BUT STORM JUST INCREASES
~by Hillel Fendel - Arutz7 News - May 22, 2007
(via J4JP)

US Ambassador Richard Jones has apologized for his statements about Jonathan
Pollard. Pollard supporters, however, have a series of demands: They want a
full retraction from Jones, as well as immediate action by Prime Minister
Olmert to demand a pardon from US President Bush. They also say they won't
let Israel get away with low-level Foreign Ministry talk of a release on
"humanitarian" grounds.

The story began at Bar Ilan University on Monday morning, when Ambassador
Jones told an audience that Pollard "took money for what he did [and] sold
out his country." Even more controversial was his comment, "The fact that
[Pollard] wasn't executed is the mercy that Jonathan Pollard will receive."

Pollard's wife Esther called the remarks "malicious incitement" in that they
implied that Jonathan had committed treason. Later in the day, Jones
apologized, saying his words reflected neither his personal views nor those
of the Bush administration. Saying his remarks were "misinformed and
misleading," Jones added, "I certainly do not personally believe that Mr.
Pollard should have received capital punishment and I was appalled to learn
that I had given that impression."

The statement of apology was emailed by Stewart Tuttle, the press
attaché of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv to, among others, Malcolm
Hoenlein, Vice-Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish
Organizations. The email included the comment, "I personally thank you for
helping us through this difficulty."

Esther Pollard said that without a full retraction, Jones's apology is
inadequate: "Ambassador Jones falsely accused my husband of treason, falsely
accused my husband of spying for money, and falsely accused him of harming
the United States. He suggested that Jonathan ought to have been executed,
reinforcing the false charge of treason. All of these false charges made by
Richard Jones against Jonathan Pollard are still out in the public domain
and doing damage. Unless and until Jones retracts these egregious lies and
corrects the record, his apology is at best incomplete, and at worst
insincere."

MK Uri Ariel, head of the Knesset Lobby for Pollard, said, "It's nice that
[Jones] said he's sorry, but now the time has come to release Pollard, not
just to apologize. The Prime Minister must turn immediately to US President
Bush, demand an end to this disgrace, and have Pollard freed immediately."

Esther Pollard on Foreign Ministry Position
It was widely reported that after Jones's original speech, the Foreign
Ministry had asked him for Pollard's release for "humanitarian reasons."
Arutz-7 has learned, however, that what actually occurred was that Foreign
Ministry official Yoram Ben-Ze'ev spoke with Jones and "reiterated the
Ministry's well-known position on Pollard." Asked to explain what this
"well-known" position actually includes, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mark
Regev told Arutz-7, "Israel has apologized for its mistakes in the Pollard
affair and believes that he should be released on humanitarian grounds."

It could not be ascertained what Ben-Ze'ev actually told Jones - but Mrs.
Pollard said it doesn't matter: "The whole thing just shows how not
seriously Israel is taking this issue. It is not the place of a minor
Foreign Ministry official to tell the Ambassador that it 'believes Pollard
should be released'; this is something the Prime Minister of Israel must
bring up directly with the President of the United States, who is the only
one who can sign the paper to release Jonathan. The Prime Minister is in
constant contact with the White House. Official agents are not released as a
'favor' on humanitarian grounds."

SEE ALSO (at www.jonathanpollard.org):
Refuting US Ambassador's Brazen Lies About Jonathan Pollard - J4JPnews
Document: Apology of US Ambassador
Audio File of US Ambassador Richard Jones' Brazen Lies
Pollards' Reaction to Apology of US Ambassador


--
JUSTICE FOR JONATHAN POLLARD
www.JonathanPollard.org
www.JonathanPollard.org/rss.htm




--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il
_________________
JUDEA & SAMARIA are clear and unquestionably JEWISH!

MiddleEast Political Expressions