Israeli President Shimon Peres is awaiting a reply from the White House on his plea for clemency for Jonathan Pollard.
Peres’ letter, sent April 9, cited Pollard’s reportedly severe health situation in requesting that he be released from Butner Federal Correctional Complex in North Carolina, where he is serving a life sentence for spying for Israel.
An administration official said April 9 that longstanding U.S. policy on Pollard had not changed. “There is no change in our position,” the official said. “I refer you to previous comments.”
Pollard, 57, reportedly was rushed to a hospital outside of the prison on the eve of Passover suffering from an unspecified emergency condition. He has had a variety of illnesses since being imprisoned in 1986.
Obama announced last month that he would award Peres with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in June; a petition signed by more than 35,000 Israelis, including former captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, has called on Peres to link the awarding of the medal to clemency for Pollard.
Peres also received a petition April 9 signed by 80 Israeli lawmakers calling on Obama to release Pollard, according to reports. — jta