Finally in Israel: Jonathan Pollard landed in Israel this morning (Wednesday) accompanied by his wife Esther, about a month after the restrictions on his movement were lifted and five years after he was released from federal prison after a lengthy 30-year sentence for his activities for Israel.
Prior to the landing, Pollard, who was excited by the pilots, was invited to the cockpit, where he listened to the Ben Gurion Airport control tower, which greeted him and greeted him in Hebrew on the occasion of his arrival in Israel.
Pollard, who was convicted of spying for Israel during his work as a U.S. Navy intelligence investigator in the 1980s, received Israeli citizenship during his time in a North Carolina prison, where he remained until the Parole Board agreed to release him under restrictions in 2017.
Due to his wife’s medical condition, the Pollards chose to arrive on a direct private flight from Newark Airport in New Jersey to Ben Gurion Airport.
As you may recall, immediately after the removal of the various restrictions on his movement, many in Israel hoped that this would pave the way for his immigration to Israel, even though, as stated, he is already formally an Israeli citizen. Two days after the restrictions on him expired, he even released a video saying that he did intend to arrive in the country “with the help of the name, very soon”, as he said: “The last step left to be free is our return home, to the land of the people we love.”
Pollard’s operation in the United States actually began on his own initiative, but elements in Israel eventually made him a spy for all intents and purposes – though not through the usual channels.
Thus, for two years, it was alleged that he passed on many documents to Israel that included highly classified material, although it is not clear how much the information endangered the United States. He was admitted by the FBI and put on trial. He admitted as part of a plea deal in espionage for Israel, and hoped that he would receive a reduced sentence, but was eventually sentenced to 30 years in prison, which included his detention.
The Pollard affair was one of the most difficult in Israeli-US relations, and the struggle for his release was one of the most challenging Israel has ever known. The parole board said he was allowed to be released under various traffic restrictions, which barred him from leaving the U.S. and restricted his ability to speak to the media and in fact barred him from any uncontrolled access to the Internet. Many in Israel wondered if the particularly harsh conditions of his incarceration, which were different from those of spies who worked for other US friendships, were in fact revenge.