Jonathan Pollard eligible for ‘mandatory parole’ in November

Release of convicted spy could ease tensions between U.S. and Israel

Washington— Jonathan Pollard, the U. S. intelligence analyst who spied for Israel and was sentenced to life in prison, could be released as early as November when he becomes eligible for mandatory parole, according to the Justice Department. His release would eliminate a long-standing wedge in U.S.-Israel relations at a time of increased tensions between the countries over a nuclear deal with Iran.

The Justice Department said Friday that while Pollard was ordered to serve life in prison after being convicted of selling U.S. secrets to the Israeli government, the terms of his sentence require that he be released after 30 years— a date that will arrive this fall — unless the government can prove that he violated rules in prison or is likely to commit further crimes.

In a statement Friday, the Justice Department signaled that the government was not planning to oppose release, noting that Pollard is “presumptively eligible for mandatory parole.”

“The Department of Justice has always and continues to maintain that Jonathan Pollard should serve his full sentence for the serious crimes he committed, which in this case is a 30-year sentence as mandated by statute,” said Marc Raimondi, a Justice Department spokesman.

The prospect of Pollard’s release is likely to be seen as a major concession by the Obama administration to Israel at a time when the White House is lobbying intensely to prevent opposition from pro-Israel groups from derailing a recently negotiated agreement with Iran over its nuclear program.

The White House rejected the suggestion that it would use Pollard’s release for political gain. National Security Council spokeswoman Alistair Baskey said Pollard’s status would be determined “according to standard procedures” of the federal parole commission and that “there is absolutely zero linkage between Mr. Pollard’s status and foreign policy considerations.”

Even so, a decision to free Pollard would resolve one of the most politically charged espionage cases in recent decades. Doing so could bolster the administration’s standing with Israel and its backers in the United States, but it also could risk angering officials at the CIA, FBI and other agencies that have fought repeatedly to keep Pollard in prison.

A Jewish American who was given Israeli citizenship while in custody, Pollard was arrested in 1985 while working as a civilian analyst for the U. S. Navy and convicted of passing secret documents to the Israeli intelligence service.

Although allies, the United States and Israel have long engaged in aggressive espionage operations against each other as each tried to anticipate the other’s moves on an array of sensitive issues in the Middle East.