Freed Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard to make first public address since release
Jonathan Pollard – the spy who served 30 years in a U.S. prison after admitting providing classified information to the Israeli government – will address Jewish leaders in New York next week in his first public speech since his release.
Pollard – a former U.S. Navy analyst – was freed last November, having been sentenced to life imprisonment in 1987 and is still subject to stringent parole conditions.
The naturalised Israeli citizen, 61, will speak to the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish American Organisations about his ongoing legal battle.
Pollard’s lawyers have asked authorities in New York to relax the terms of the Orthodox Jew’s parole in order to improve his chances of securing employment and allow him to properly keep shabbat.
Currently, Pollard must wear a GPS tracking device and is not permitted to leave U.S. soil, must remain in New York, is banned from entering airports and is subject to a strict curfew and controls on his internet use.
His lawyers scored a small victory against probation officers after they complained his GPS bracelet required charging too frequently – forcing Pollard to use electricity during shabbat.
A parole report from July states Pollard, whose wife Anne served three and half years behind bars for her role in concealing his crimes, “has learned his lesson and does not want to return to prison”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
