Report: Kerry Offers Pollard's Release to Israel

[flowers]

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/175622

United States Secretary of State John Kerry has offered Israel the release of Jonathan Pollard, Channel 10 News reported on Friday.

According to the report, Kerry’s offer was made as part of the discussions surrounding the upcoming planned release of 26 terrorists from Israeli jails as a “gesture” to Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

Kol Yisrael radio, which also reported about Kerry’s offer, said it relates to the fourth stage of the terrorist release and is conditional upon Israel agreeing to release Israeli Arabs who have committed acts of terrorism.

Israeli officials were quoted by both outlets as having said that they believe the idea has not been cleared with President Barack Obama and as such were doubtful that the offer would actually be implemented.

Pollard’s release has been tied in the past week with recent revelations by documents leaked by Edward Snowden that the United States conducted surveillance on Israeli leaders.

In recent days there have been calls by Israeli Knesset Members for the United States to free Pollard in the wake of these revelations, which said that American and British intelligence agencies tapped the communications of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Defense Minister Ehud Barak, among other foreign leaders.

Channel 2 reported this week that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will officially demand the release of Pollard from the U.S.

The unconfirmed report said that Netanyahu will ask for Pollard's release in one of two frameworks: either for another exchange of more Arab terrorist prisoners, or as part of agreeing to the interim deal between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Officials in the White House later said that Obama has no immediate plans to release Pollard and that he "stands behind what he said just before his visit to Israel.”

Before his visit to Israel last March, Obama said in an interview with Channel 2 that Pollard “has been serving his time. There is a justice system that allows for periodic review and the way I as president function here is to try and make sure that I am following the basic rules of that review.”

[truth_seeker]

Who are the muslims going to release? Anybody kept alive?

[Oceander]

What value, if any, does Pollard have anymore?

[Right_in_Virginia]

What value, if any, does Pollard have anymore?

A stall tactic.  Israel (Netanyahu) does not want to sign any interim peace deal with the Palestinians.  Demanding Pollard's release is raising dust and spilling marbles on the floor.  At this, Bibi is a master.

[Oceander]

A stall tactic.  Israel (Netanyahu) does not want to sign any interim peace deal with the Palestinians.  Demanding Pollard's release is raising dust and spilling marbles on the floor.  At this, Bibi is a master.

So long as Obama doesn't call his bluff; after all, there isn't a whole lot of value left for the US in continuing to hold Pollard either.

[Chieftain]

This is a very clumsy, ill thought out and extremely awkward attempt to twist the Israeli's arms into giving Obammy a "win" in "Palestine", and nothing more.  Netanyahu has bigger fish to fry, like keeping Iran from testing their first nuclear weapon over Tel Aviv, for example.

More showboat politics.

[Right_in_Virginia]

This is a very clumsy, ill thought out and extremely awkward attempt to twist the Israeli's arms into giving Obammy a "win" in "Palestine", and nothing more.  Netanyahu has bigger fish to fry, like keeping Iran from testing their first nuclear weapon over Tel Aviv, for example.

I've been out of the loop for the holidays.  Is Netanyahu doing anything more than talking about the bigger fish to fry and making demands for no relief in sanctions?

Thx.

[Right_in_Virginia]

So long as Obama doesn't call his bluff; after all, there isn't a whole lot of value left for the US in continuing to hold Pollard either.

Good point.  Pollard's up for parole in 2015 anyway.

[Oceander]

Good point.  Pollard's up for parole in 2015 anyway.

So Obama'd be giving them something they'd get in a year anyways (most likely) but charging a price they wouldn't have to pay if they waited until 2015.

[Chieftain]

I've been out of the loop for the holidays.  Is Netanyahu doing anything more than talking about the bigger fish to fry and making demands for no relief in sanctions?

Thx.

Israel was forced into going along with this six month chapter of Obama Kabuki Theater with the Iranians, and I don't know how much longer they are going to continue to sit on their hands while Iran enriches uranium.  With the Iranian deal on the skids from the beginning, if it falls completely apart in the next couple of weeks, there is no telling where this all goes next.

[Oceander]

Israel was forced into going along with this six month chapter of Obama Kabuki Theater with the Iranians, and I don't know how much longer they are going to continue to sit on their hands while Iran enriches uranium.  With the Iranian deal on the skids from the beginning, if it falls completely apart in the next couple of weeks, there is no telling where this all goes next.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Israel was forced into going along with this six month chapter of Obama Kabuki Theater with the Iranians, and I don't know how much longer they are going to continue to sit on their hands while Iran enriches uranium.  With the Iranian deal on the skids from the beginning, if it falls completely apart in the next couple of weeks, there is no telling where this all goes next.

Well.. not the best news.  But, thanks for the reply.

[Right_in_Virginia]

So Obama'd be giving them something they'd get in a year anyways (most likely) but charging a price they wouldn't have to pay if they waited until 2015.

We do live in interesting times.