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Yosef Mendelevitch was born in Riga and was a well-known "Prisoner of Zion" in the former Soviet Union. Since moving to Israel he has become affiliated with the Religious Zionist Movement.
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By Yosef Mendelevitch
May 22, 2006
B"H
To the honorable Prime Minister Ehud Olmert:
In your upcoming meeting, Mr. Olmert, you and President Bush will be discussing many issues which will affect the fate of Am Yisrael. We, the citizens of the State of Israel, anxiously await your return with mixed feelings. On only one issue are we all united: we all expect you to bring Jonathan Pollard home.
Imagine the joy it will bring to the spirit of all Israel to see you alight from the plane, hand-in-hand with Jonathan. What a joyful relief from the sin that hangs over all of our heads! All of the nation is guilty for abandoning this hero of Israel who sacrificed himself for our welfare and continued existence as a nation and state. Even though this sin hangs over all of our heads, it is first and foremost the sin of the leadership of Israel, and in this case, very personally yours.
As a Prisoner of Zion who spent 11 years in prison, I can't even imagine half of the anguish that Jonathan Pollard is suffering after 21 years in prison. He was arrested when the State of Israel was 38 years old. I too was the same age at the time, and so it seems to me, were you. Think about it. Now you and I are both approaching the age of 60 - and Pollard is still there, in prison, buried alive. Can you imagine?!
It may be that you were not directly responsible for the Israeli Government's original betrayal and abandonment of her agent to life in prison. But from this day on, from the moment that you officially became the Prime Minister of Israel, you now share in this overwhelming responsibility. What is more, one of your first actions was to appoint Rafi Eitan to be a Minister in your government. You extended your hand and welcomed Eitan, the man who ran Pollard and then threw him to the dogs. Now extend your hand to Jonathan Pollard!
Mr. Olmert, as you head to Washington, you are taking with you secret information about the development of ballistic weapons of war in Iran for use in Iraq. The reliability of the information you will be bringing, and the details of Iraq's war capabilities may help the United States to fight more effectively in Iraq to save the world from the threat of nuclear war. Consequently, you know just how valuable this secret information is. Thus you may even begin to appreciate the great sacrifice that Jonathan Pollard made in passing this kind of information to save the State of Israel from the threat of destruction. Israel is obliged to do everything possible to secure his release from prison.
I call upon you, Mr. Olmert, to summon up all of your courage. You must, I believe, speak plainly with President Bush, and tell him: Mr. President, the Nation of Israel demands the release of Jonathan Pollard!
I beseech you, in the name of all Prisoners of Zion, with a cry from the heart choking my throat, and tears streaming down my eyes: Free Jonathan Pollard Now!
Yosef Mendelevitch
Jerusalem. May 16, 2006
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