Kerry and Pollard, Bad Combination

Headlines here in the Israeli and Jewish press mention a lot about United States Secretary of State John Kerry and unprecedentedly long-time Jewish American prisoner Jonathan Jay Pollard. They aren't mixed in the individual headlines, but they're sharing the front pages.

Obama seems to have given Kerry the thankless job of threatening Israel. After the faux reassurances of Obama that his "deal" with Iran wouldn't harm Israel, Kerry has a different message:

Kerry Threatens Israel with Isolation if Iran Deal CollapsesIn an interview to NBC, quoted by Reuters, US Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday said a unilateral Israeli military attack on Iran would be "an enormous mistake," as tension between Jerusalem and Washington continues to rise over the nuclear deal achieved last week between Iran and six world powers. (Jerusalem Online)

photo credit:MARC ISRAEL SELLEM

And unlike the Esther Pollard camp that has been hinting that they expect Pollard to be released on parole after his thirty 30 years in prison are up, I agree with his ex-wife Anne Henderson Pollard that it does not look good for Pollard's chance of parole," though she sincerely hopes that he'll be released after all these years. Click for interview on Channel 2 with Anne Pollard.

The Pollards’ sentencing took place on March 4, 1987. The prosecutor, in accord with a plea agreement, recommended that Pollard receive “only a substantial number of years in prison,” Judge Aubrey Robinson, Jr., noting that Pollard had violated many conditions of the plea agreement, and citing a damage assessment memorandum from the Secretary of Defense, imposed a life sentence.
Anne Pollard was sentenced to five years, but was paroled after three and a half years over health problems. Jonathan filed for divorce after Anne’s release, saying that since he expected to be jailed for the remainder of his life, he did not want Anne to be bound to him. At the end of her parole period, Anne emigrated to Israel. (Jewish Press)

Especially considering that the Esther Pollard group has consistently mismanaged the case, the chance of Jonathan Pollard being released on parole is poor.

I see a connection between these two issues, Iran and Pollard. My favorite political cartoonist dry bones drew it perfectly in these two cartoons.

Israel would be treated much better aka respected by the United States of we would stop trying to appease them and just do what's best for us. And if/when they complain, just tell them to !!#$%!! it. That's what Cuba, Iran, Syria etc. have done very successfully. And if we had just supported Pollard and demanded his release, he would have been in Israel a long time ago. In all honesty, I don't expect him to come here on his two feet, and I'm not talking about needing a wheelchair.