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From left: Richard Jones and Jonathan Pollard. (Archive)
Last update - 12:58 22/05/2007
U.S. ambassador apologizes for remarks on convicted spy Pollard
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and News Agencies

Israel Radio reported Tuesday that U.S. Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones has apologized for remarks on convicted spy Jonathan Pollard, and said that they did not reflect his personal views, nor those of the Bush administration.

Jones called the comments "misinformed and misleading."

Jones told a university conference earlier in the day that the United States had been lenient with Pollard as it did not execute him for spying for Israel.
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Pollard, a civilian intelligence analyst for the U.S. Navy, was convicted of selling military secrets to Israel while working at the Pentagon. He was arrested in 1985 and pleaded guilty at his trial. He is serving a life sentence in a U.S. federal prison.

The ambassador reiterated his view on Pollard and said, "I certainly do not personally believe that Mr. Pollard should have received capital punishment- I was appalled to learn that I had given that impression."

The ambassador also expressed remorse for the distress the Pollard family and friends have underwent since his arrest, according to the radio.

The Foreign Ministry's deputy director general for North American affairs, Yoram Ben Zeev, phoned Jones to learn, firsthand, what he had said.

Ben Zeev reiterated that Israel had made mistakes but that Pollard should be released for "humanitarian reasons," a Foreign Ministry official said.

Following Jones' remarks, Industry and Trade Minister Eli Yishai on Monday asked the United States to explain the comments.

"I know many spies whose sentences were cut or who were even released," Yishai said. "Pollard is undergoing physical and emotional hardship, and I am sure that this comment does not reflect the administration's policy."

Jones had said Monday that Pollard is unlikely ever to be released. Speaking at a Bar-Ilan University conference on U.S.-Israel relations, the ambassador said that "It came out in the trial very clearly, Jonathan Pollard took money for what he did, he sold out his country."

Jones went further and said that "the fact that he wasn't executed is the mercy that Jonathan Pollard will receive."

"This is a very emotional issue in the United States," Jones said. "I know he was helping a friend but that's what makes it even more emotional for Americans, if a friend would cooperate in aiding and abetting someone who is committing treason against his own country."

Foreign Ministry officials were surprised by Jones' comments and said they did not understand why he made them. An Israeli political official said Israel would continue to work for Pollard's release.

However, Pollard's wife, Esther, said Jones' apology was insufficient. She said Jones made false charges against her husband. "Unless there is a specific retraction and correction, we simply must regard the apology was incomplete at best or insincere at worst," she said.
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  1.   Israelis and Jews should stop with demands on Pollard.... 07:48  |  Tom 22/05/07
  2.   American Spies in Israel? 08:00  |  Daniel 22/05/07
  3.   great, my ambassador is a cruel anti-semite 08:17  |  Philly Jew 22/05/07
  4.   Kiss and make up 08:24  |  Colin Wright 22/05/07
  5.   Free Pollard! 08:25  |  Adam 22/05/07
  6.   Who rare you? 08:36  |  D 22/05/07
  7.   Ya...but this is the difference 09:11  |  stifffler 22/05/07
  8.   send the yankee home 09:12  |  send the yankee home 22/05/07
  9.   US Ambassador dosn`t know US constitution 09:14  |  David Olesker 22/05/07
  10.   Free Pollard 09:18  |  Leon Blaustein 22/05/07
  11.   There never was a trial, stupid! 09:19  |  Gilad 22/05/07
  12.   Hypocritical 09:20  |  Simon 22/05/07
  13.   Pollard 09:22  |  Gabe 22/05/07
  14.   Pollard should be released 09:45  |  whoopsie 22/05/07
  15.   Wrong place for ambassador to show weakness 09:50  |  Jens 22/05/07
  16.   TO #1 09:50  |  DAVID 22/05/07
  17.   Response to #3 and #7 10:08  |  Samy 22/05/07
  18.   Pollard didn`t sell in the info. That`s another lie 10:11  |  rob 22/05/07
  19.   To # 1 Tom & # 3 Philly Jew 10:12  |  Henk 22/05/07
  20.   Don`t release him 10:18  |  JustMe 22/05/07
  21.   #7 stifffler, you need to read up some more 10:25  |  Johnboy 22/05/07
  22.   Daniel 10:48  |  Zeke 22/05/07
  23.   Philly Jew #3 10:52  |  nathan 22/05/07
  24.   #18 rob joins the Pollard-apologists 10:57  |  Johnboy 22/05/07
  25.   MEANINGLESS 11:03  |  shaul elliot 22/05/07
  26.   Can someone explain why Polard should be freed? 11:04  |  A Lebanese 22/05/07
  27.   He has compromised his position 11:05  |  LA 22/05/07
  28.   Against Jens 11:09  |  Vitaliy 22/05/07
  29.   Pollard found US Govt was dbl crossing Israel & lied to US Public 11:11  |  Eduardo 22/05/07
  30.   For once I understand the back-paddling..... 11:17  |  Swiss (Dino) 22/05/07
  31.   #2 Daniel, the apology is not enough 11:19  |  Johnboy 22/05/07
  32.   Jens,the Ambassador was stricter than Denmark with russian spies 11:46  |  Absolute Sweden 22/05/07
  33.   Pollard is an american Hero 11:46  |  US Jew 22/05/07
  34.   And you say Israelis don`t control America? 12:10  |  Jasem 22/05/07
  35.   Why did Jones open his mouth? 12:37  |  Silent diplomat 22/05/07
  36.   Johnboy, you only read what agrees with you 12:56  |  Hirsh 22/05/07
  37.   What`s to apologise for 13:08  |  Chris Linthwaite 22/05/07
  38.   Persona non grata 13:16  |  Sidney 22/05/07
  39.   #2 re:American Spies in Israel 13:19  |  John 22/05/07
  40.   Follow-up to #11 and reply to others 13:28  |  Sidney 22/05/07
  41.   He is Saudi apologist 13:36  |  r 22/05/07
  42.   Oh please! 13:52  |  T A Sheppard 22/05/07
  43.   Philly Jew. YOur loyalty is Israel, not America 13:53  |  True American 22/05/07
  44.   Israel`s fault 14:12  |  Zev 22/05/07
  45.   Ambassador is a good man 14:28  |  Robert 22/05/07
  46.   Clear 14:28  |  jorge 22/05/07
  47.   #26 A Lebanese 14:36  |  T A Sheppard 22/05/07
  48.   U.S.S. Liberty 14:39  |  Gerald Gibson Jr 22/05/07
  49.   Jasem cuts to the chase.... 14:46  |  John Coady 22/05/07
  50.   Certainly a Misplaced Apology 14:48  |  Yaakov Sullivan 22/05/07
  51.   #7 Rethink..... 14:50  |  John Allen 22/05/07
  52.   Pollard 14:54  |  Scott 22/05/07
  53.   For once I can understand the U.S. back-paddling..... 14:55  |  Swiss (Dino) 22/05/07
  54.   No trial? 14:58  |  Scott 22/05/07
  55.   same old israel 15:03  |  edgar 22/05/07
  56.   To Samy #17 15:05  |  Scott 22/05/07
  57.   Keeping up with the Jones` 15:06  |  a talkbacker 22/05/07
  58.   A Lebanese: A Response to your question #26 15:09  |  Yaakov Sullivan 22/05/07
  59.   #12 Simon 15:11  |  Sarah 22/05/07
  60.   Pollard`s lenient punishment 15:12  |  American in Paris 22/05/07
  61.   To #33 Jew 15:19  |  Scott 22/05/07
  62.   Scott, try getting something right for a change 15:25  |  Sidney 22/05/07
  63.   Want him released? 15:28  |  Scott 22/05/07
  64.   Silent diplomat: the message is clear 15:43  |  Yaakov Sullivan 22/05/07
  65.   To proPollard Isrealis 15:51  |  Scott 22/05/07
  66.   The Punishment for Stupidity lasts a lifetime 16:05  |  Natallie Durson 22/05/07
  67.   #54 The trials of a non-existant trial 16:28  |  Kate 22/05/07
  68.   Scratching My Head 16:31  |  Ronnie Wolman 22/05/07
  69.   Ambassador should be sent home 16:41  |  Brod 22/05/07
  70.   US Jew 16:47  |  CHGODMK 22/05/07
  71.   As an American Jew, I am ashamed 16:51  |  Lee 22/05/07
  72.   Free Pollard 16:53  |  Pollard`s friend 22/05/07