Pollard: An American-Israeli Patriot
by Edward Langer & David Wolfe
It is no secret that over the past 42 years, since the establishment of
the state, American-Israeli relations have seen no small measure of
trials and tribulations.
Undoubtedly, recent events reflect one of the finest hours in the
relationship between Washington and Jerusalem. Similarly, one
would be unlikely to find many objections to a definition of the
"Pollard Affair" as one of the lowest points in that relationship.
Since January 15 [1991], American officials as well as the media
have offered generous and unprecendented praise to Israel's policy
of self-restraint in the Gulf crisis.
Much attention has been give to Israel's general state of
preparedness, and some of the most vivid images of the Gulf crisis
are those of Israeli children being placed in gas-proof basinettes by
their gas-masked parents.
Families have taken steps to seal windows and doors with weather-
stripping and plastic sheeting, all in accordance with Civil Defense
instructions which have been periodically repeated on radio and
television. Clearly, one of the most pleasant surprises of this crisis
has been the population's exemplary calm under the present tense
circumstances.
For a number of years now, Israel has been making quiet
preparations for the current crisis, including diverting scarce
manufacturing resources to the production and stockpiling of
several million gas masks for the protection of the entire
population.
Obviously, a high-level decision-making process was initiated
several years ago, allowing the civilian population to cope with the
Iraqi threat of chemical warfare now. What prompted the Israeli
government to initiate and maintain a long-term policy directed at a
seemingly unknown threat by a country whose involvement as a
"confrontational state" had been marginal?
All decision-making processes are based on information, the
reliability of which is essential to defining and implementing the
correct policy. Given the uncertainties of geo-political
developments in the Middle East, the true test of policy
implementation is seen in its effectiveness to meet the challenges of
an ever-changing situation. What information enabled Israel to
properly asses the Iraqi threat, define policies to address it, and
implement them in a timely fashion?
In his definitive report of the Jonathan Pollard affair, entitled
"Territory of Lies", Wolf Blitzer, then the Jerusalem Post's
Washington correspondent, now a familiar face on CNN, describes
the content of information provided by Pollard to Israel during the
years 1984-85, as follows:
"For example, he [Pollard] obtained the most exact U.S. gathered
information about Iraqi ... chemical warfare production capabilities,
including detailed satellite pictures and maps showing the location
of factories and storage facilities. The United States did not want to
make such specific information available, fearing a preemptive
strike ... The first documents Pollard gave Israel, and which so
impressed his handlers, involved the details of Iraq's chemical
warfare factories.
As to what motivated Pollard to pass such information to the
Israelis, Blitzer relates the ridicule which Pollard faced when
participating in an official U.S.-Israeli intelligence exchange
conference. At a particular juncture in the meeting, a U.S.
representative was asked for "releasable" information on Soviet
chemical warfare agents. In response, the U.S. representative turned
laughingly to Pollard and said that he thought "the Jews were
overly sensitive about gas due to their experience during the
Second World War, and suggested they [the Israelis] should just
calm down a bit."
In retrospect, Pollard's efforts should now be re-examined, since
they were reportedly calculated to give the Israelis advance warning
of the growing Iraqi threat of chemical warfare, and it is this vital
information which has proved invaluable in preparing Israel and its
civilian population for the present crisis.
Moreover, in light of today's headlines, one could easily conjure up
the most horrid scenario had Pollard not supplied the information
which gave Israel the early warning required to meet the deadly
Iraqi threat.
Patriotism can assume many forms, and acts of patriotism are often
dictated by circumstances not fully appreciated at the time when
these acts are performed. Surely, the events of recent days shed new
light on both the value and motivation of Jonathan Pollard's
actions. Israel's cooperation with the U.S. policy of waging war in
the Gulf, demonstrated by its highly praised self-restraint, would
not have been possible were it not for its confidence in its own
general preparedness for Iraqi chemical threats.
Today, both the U.S. and Israel fully appreciate the real danger of
Iraqi chemical threats. However, it what now seems to be a very
distant past, in 1984-85, Israel knew only one American, Jonathan
Pollard, who reportedly appreciated this threat and was in a
position to assist Israel by providing it with vital information
regarding what is now acknowledged as one of the most powerful
and menacing dictatorships in the world. This fact can no longer be
ignored. The value and valor of Pollard's actions should now be
clear to all.
Tonight, the people of Israel will sleep better knowing that U.S.
Patriot anti-missile missiles guard its skies. However, Israel's sleep
will remain uneasy, so long as Jonathan Pollard, a no less crucial
contributor to Israel's defense, is denied his freedom and the
belated recognition that his actions were not traitorous, but were
rooted in a deep conviction that bolstering Israel's defense fully
coincides with America's best interests.
Patriotism can assume many forms .. this truism is Pollard's legacy.
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