Pollard in Israel: Four Comments

1.

At 3am Wednesday morning, Jonathan and Esther Pollard landed in Israel. Their arrival was a surprise. Not surprise in the metaphysical sense – we all knew they intended to come. It was a surprise in the operational sense – we did not know it was coming today. Very few Israelis had prior knowledge that they were coming today.

Thus, Israel did not prepare for the event. And of course, this is by design. No preparation means no festival of media attention and public gatherings, no live coverage, no flags on roadsides, no bombastic speeches. A surprise enabled Israel to keep Pollard’s aliya a low-key event. As it wanted it to be. As it needed it to be.

2.

Why did it happen now? Because Esther Pollard, whose health is not well, was able to travel. Because Israel wanted to wrap up this drama before the change of administration in Washington. It is good for the Trump administration to be seen as the one who gave Pollard and Israel this last gift before its departure. It is good for the Biden administration not to have this hot potato complicating its relations with Israel. It is good for Israel to get this issue off the main road of US-Israel relations when a new chapter is about to begin.

It is good for Israel to get this issue off the main road of US-Israel relations when a new chapter is about to begin.

Netanyahu was still there, at the airport, to say hello, to recite a blessing, to issue a press release. One might ask: If Israel wanted this to be low key why wake the PM up so early in the morning and have him travel to the airport? The answer is twofold. One – because low key is one thing and a complete silence is quite another. Israel is walking a fine line here. It does want to communicate its appreciation for Pollard and its remorse for all that he had to suffer and its responsibility in cooking this sorrow event of many years ago. Two – there is an election coming, and the release of Pollard is still an asset for the PM. So, as he balanced all the reasons for keeping this a low-key event and all the benefit he could gain from still taking credit for Pollard’s coming – he chose a middle road.

4.

This is an old and tired and sad story. There is no point rehashing it. We should all let the Pollards be. We should let them enjoy the time they still have under Israel’s sun. We – Americans and Israelis – should forget, and, if possible, also forgive. It is time.