Will US Free Pollard in Effort to Keep Peace Talks Alive?

Will US Free Pollard in Effort to Keep Peace Talks Alive?

U.S. denies Army Radio report that it has agreed to release Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard as part of a deal to prevent a collapse of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks • U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with PA President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman.

Israel Hayom

2014-03-26


Imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard (photo credit: AP)

As part of an effort to prevent a collapse of the current Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, the U.S. has agreed to release imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, Army Radio reported on Wednesday.

According to the report, which was later denied by the U.S., the American move is meant to try and buy time for the faltering negotiations, in light of extreme statements made Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, and the reluctance of Israel to go ahead with the fourth stage of the release of imprisoned Palestinian terrorists at the end of this week.

The Army Radio report suggested that should Abbas agree to extend the peace talks until the end of the year, and Israel agrees to proceed with the fourth stage of the prisoner release, including 20 Israeli Arab prisoners, the U.S. would free Pollard.

Army Radio quoted Israeli officials as saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would likely be able to secure his government’s support for such a deal, as the Israeli public would likely support a move that results in Pollard’s release.


U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry flew from Italy to Jordan on Wednesday to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (photo credit: AP)

However, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Wednesday refuted the Army Radio report, saying there are no plans to free Pollard “at the moment.”

“Jonathan Pollard was convicted of espionage against the United States—a very serious crime,” Psaki said. “He was sentenced to life and is currently serving his sentence.”

Pollard, now 59, was arrested in Washington in November 1985. He was later convicted of spying for Israel and sentenced to life in prison.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry cut an official visit to Italy short on Wednesday to fly to Jordan to meet with Abbas.

A senior Jordanian official told Israel Hayom that the meeting in Amman would include a video conference with Netanyahu, and that King Abdullah II would also participate in the meeting.

“The meeting will focus on Israel’s obligation to free [Palestinian] prisoners at the end of the month and it will be crucial to the future of the peace talks,” the official said.

The fourth stage of the prisoner release, which remains uncertain at this point, has been touted as the Palestinian leadership’s top priority. Both Jordanian and Palestinian officials have expressed pessimism regarding the release.

“Right now it doesn’t look like the fourth [prisoner] release will take place because Israel is against it,” a Palestinian official told Israel Hayom.

Speaking before an Arab League summit in Kuwait on Tuesday, Abbas accused Israel of “trying to avoid fulfilling the commitments it made to the Americans to release prisoners. The Israeli government is trying to thwart the prisoners’ release and it only goes to show that they are not serious,” he said, referring to the peace talks.

Israeli government ministers are pressuring Netanyahu to delay the release by at least a month, until Abbas clarifies whether or not he is willing to extend talks by a year.

The Knesset Interior Committee was set to discuss on Wednesday the criteria for the potential four stage of the prisoner release.

Committee head MK Miri Regev (Likud) invited representatives from the Israel Prison Service and from the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss the release. Also invited to the meeting were representatives from the Attorney-General’s Office, from the Public Security Ministry, from the Foreign Ministry and from Almagor Terror Victims Association, which strongly opposes the prisoner release.

Regev said, “I am against the release of terrorists because, up to this point, we have released a fair number of terrorists and we have seen no progress from [Abbas]. If they want to release terrorists, they also have to release Jewish prisoners sitting in jail, convicted of security crimes.”

Almagor head Meir Indor echoed Regev’s statements.

Habayit Hayehudi Chairman MK Naftali Bennett commented on the report saying. “I’m not sure that this plan will come to fruition. In any case, we have to stop begging Abbas to agree to the negotiations. I’m skeptical because I have yet to hear the prime minister or the U.S. make any statement about Pollard.”