Israel chief rabbi says Obama must free Pollard if he wants another term

[Poll_Blind]

From Haaretz:

Yona Metzger tells congregants in a Shabbat sermon that Jews who voted for Obama are disappointed, and U.S. president should release Pollard as mark of good faith.

--snip--

"If Obama wishes to dictate Israeli policy, he must show that he has mutual interests with Israel," Israel Radio quoted Metzger as saying. The rabbi reportedly added that these "mutual interests" should be shown through releasing Pollard.

Pollard's release has long been a bone of contention between Isael and its chief ally. In January, the Prime Minister's Office sent a letter to Obama requesting the convicted spy's release on humanitarian grounds. This marked the first formal request by Israel for the release of Pollard.

"Even though Israel was in no way directing its intelligence efforts against the United States, its actions were wrong and wholly unacceptable," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in the letter. "Both Mr. Pollard and the Government of Israel have repeatedly expressed remorse for these actions, and Israel will continue to abide by its commitment that such wrongful actions will never be repeated."

--snip--

Good lord, I was just cruising Haaretz this morning and came across the above article. I don't know which is funnier, Rabbi Metzger threatening Obama's chance of re-election if he doesn't release the spy Pollard or Netanyahu's letter which can be summed up as "Pollard's not our spy but we promise we won't ever not do it again if you release him".

As far as I'm concerned Pollard and Robert Hansen's chess-by-mail game shouldn't face any interruption.

PB

[no_hypocrisy]

1. What IS it about Obama that gives the impression he works best when he's blackmailed?

[woodsprite]

2. Shouldn't they just be glad he's not being treated like Manning? n/t

[Sal Minella]

3. That is cute, isn't it -- "We didn't do it and we'll never do it again." n/t

[bluerum]

4. It seems,,, that the Tbaggers have been put in charge of Israeli foreign policy.

[Poll_Blind]

10. The extreme hard right has an iron grip on Israel, unfortunately.

Right now, Leftists in Israel are teetering on a McCarthy-esque era with little relief in sight. One thing about the Right, though, is they seem so hell-bent on authoritarian hero-worship that they'll adopt just about anyone with a pulse (and more than a few without one), without doing due diligence in uncovering who the person actually is.

Sort of the "Joe the Plumber" syndrome.

The engine of the Israeli Right can be fueled by many things but one of their strongest tools to whip up support is "The Persecuted Jew". Basically, this is a pretty simple tactic: Take a practicing (especially Orthodox) Jew who is being persecuted for something, somewhere, and attempt to downplay legitimate reasons for their persecution while up-playing the possibility that their persecution is a result of Anti-Semitism.

It's a terrible tactic, of course, not the least reason of which is that it dilutes recognition of real Anti-Semitism which is just as insidious as ever.

PB

[Octafish]

5. Vanunu, first.

Then we can talk.

[snagglepuss]

7. Exactly. nt

[sendero]

6. The best way Obama could .

.... ensure re-election would be to stop giving money to the state of Israel, they are not our friends.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. Huh

What gives this guy chutzpah to think that he can demand this?
:wtf:

I'm surprised that somebody over there didn't try to get their BFFs Bush/Cheney to do this (or if they did, why weren't they successful)?

[Ikonoklast]

9. Pollard should have been hung as a traitor.

The damage he did to this country's intelligence gathering capabilities was stupendous.

I find the talk of 'dictating policy' hilarious, considering the source...we need better friends than some of the ones we currently have in the Middle East.

Ones that don't extort us.

[customerserviceguy]

12. He's been saved as a future bargaining chip

That's his only practical worth these days. But I wouldn't mind it if we tossed that chip away, either.

[bahrbearian]

11. Free the Palestinians , if you want our money.