Jonathan Pollard may have ditched the deal in the making by which the Obama administration would free him from his life sentence in a U.S. federal prison cell if Israel agrees to release terrorists “with blood on their hands” along with several other security prisoners
Patricia Smoot, a member of the U.S. Parole Commission, said on Tuesday that Pollard has waived a planned parole hearing for the same day, the Associated Press reported.
The hearing was to be held at the federal prison in Butner, N.C., where Pollard is imprisoned.
No reason was stated for Pollard’s refusal, but it is possible that he is protesting the proposal that he be exchanged for terrorists. Israel also has promised to limit construction for Jews in Judea and Samaria so U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry can prolong his peace process saga for another year.
Others claim that Pollard did not show up for the hearing because his lawyers postponed it for procedural reasons.
Israel’s Housing Minister Uri Ariel commented on Tuesday, “I was personally told he is against being released in such a shameful deal.”
Pollard previously has objected to his being used as a bargaining chip in a mass release of Palestinian Authority terrorists by Israel.
It won’t be known until Wednesday, when Kerry arrives in Ramallah, if the deal will go through, but Pollard’s refusal to attend a parole hearing could cause problems for the Obama administration. Many U.S. intelligence and defense officials, as well as a large number of dyed-in-the-wool Americans, would prefer that Pollard die in jail, especially if his release is for no other reason than extending the failed peace process for another year.