I was serving in the Reagan Administration when Jonathan Pollard was arrested. I suffered as much shame and embarrassment as most Jews during this period. Perhaps more. I had made my then nascent career in the Republican Party fighting the stereotypes of Jews as being monolithically Liberal, Democratic and, by extension, only mildly pro-American.
It was the Jews, after all, who would fight to the death to keep the US out of any foreign entanglements -- unless, of course, it was to support Israel. They would fight to the death in Congress to eviscerate Defense spending -- unless, of course, it was money going to defend Israel. They would fight to the death to circumscribe the power of the State vis-a-vis individual and civil rights -- unless, of course, you were talking about the State of Israel.
There was always the underlying feeling that as a Jew, policy makers were waiting for you to make the case against Israel just to prove that you were a loyal American.
That's why being a Reaganite was so liberating. Reagan said that everything we wanted for America, he wanted for Israel! Strong defense, open economy, secure borders, individual freedom, mutually defensible borders. There was no disconnect between the Reaganite in me and the pro-Israel Jew.
Then Pollard.
It raised all of the old canards of double loyalty, Julius and Ethel, "what would you do if the US and Israel were at war?"
I felt that Pollard had betrayed American Jews. He had committed a Chilul Hashem (disgracing G-d's name), and put Jews worldwide in mortal danger.
The truth is, I still feel that way.
But as I grow older, and have seen the pitiful sentences handed out to spies such as John Walker, I have an growing sense of unease. A sense that there is an injustice here.
Either we have to step up punishment for more serious spies than Pollard -- Aldrich Ames comes to mind - or we have to let Pollard go. I support either option.
The precedents are all around us.
In December 2000, my wife and I were allowed inside Angola prison in Louisiana and onto Death Row to meet some of the prisoners there. We were personally escorted on our tour of Death Row by the prison warden and by Wilbert Rideau.
Rideau, you may remember, murdered a bank teller in 1961 and tried to kill his other hostages. He was tried four times and never recanted his crime, yet just last year, Rideau walked free. Why?
The courts determined that Rideau was the only black Louisiana murderer convicted in 1961 still in prison. The courts determined that their was an imbalance -- an injustice -- that would not stand, and so they released him into free society. A man who murdered in cold blood -- released into free society.
I believe that there are only two options here. Either we tighten up parole laws so that all murderers are kept in prison, or we end up releasing the Walter Rideaus of the world.
I would prefer to tighten up the sentencing and incarceration standards -- for murderers as well as for spies.
But if you're not going to do that, then you have to let Pollard go.
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2 comments:
I never even heard about him! Boy - I'm out of it. Rabbi Hanoka just told me who he was (though I could have googled him.) Do you think you'd feel the same if it was any other foreign spy?
And another thing - don't you think it's time to really examine and reform our correctional legislation/operations? Is this really the best we can do? Double standards like the one you just mentioned... It's shoddy! LIke our educational system. All based on old paradyms - could use a refurb, no?
As I said in the post, you should treat Pollard the same way you treat everyone else - but I really think that you should treat everyone else the way you are currently treating Pollard.
I don't think there was ever a reason for the Israelis to be spying on the US. NO REASON AT ALL. But since he(and they) did, then he has to accept the consequences. My problem with it is that you and I didn't choose to accept the consequences that we are bearing as a result of him spying.
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