Thirty-five years after his arrest, Jonathan Pollard's tragic saga finally came to an end when he arrived in Israel.
No doubt that the US government treated Pollard with exceptional severity and harshness. Senior officials in Washington and law-enforcement agencies couldn't help but feel resentment towards the American citizen, a US Navy intelligence analyst no less, who crossed the line and passed classified information to Israel for a year and a half.
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One cannot minimize the severity of Pollard's actions, which led to the breach of trust in the close relationship between Israel and the United States. However, the Americans clearly wanted to make an example of Pollard, an example no one will ever forget, and therefore treated him with disproportionate revenge. Other American spies, like Steven Lalas, for instance, also revealed sensitive information to US allies but received much lighter sentences.
Wednesday morning, the Pollard story has come to a conclusion. Hopefully, the incident, which will now be seared in the American government's psyche for generations, will soon fade away. On our part, not only should we welcome Pollard, but we should also make sure we don't forget the lessons the affair has taught us.
When Pollard was exposed as a spy, American Jews were plunged into an identity crisis, as anyone who had the slightest connection to Israel was suddenly treated with suspicion and was suspected of disloyalty. Even though Pollard's actions might have been motivated by a genuine concern for Israel's security, he nevertheless accepted money for revealing classified information. Israel must ensure that even the tiniest traces of the Pollard affair will not repeat themselves.
This is especially important at this time, as Pollard's aliyah coincides with the arrival of a new Democratic president at the White House, who spoke out harshly against Pollard in the past. Any ostentatious move on Israel's part with regards to this sensitive subject – including making Pollard a political player in the election campaign – could again rekindle the long-term source of friction between the two allies.
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