Jonathan Pollard….

 ……. Enters Politics, Vows To Move Arabs Out Of Gaza If Give The Chance

Jonathan Pollard, […] disclosed the decision during an interview with Channel 13, citing the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel as a catalyst for entering public life. He said the assault and subsequent national upheaval compelled him to take a more active political role.

The 30-year U.S. Navy intelligence veteran expressed support for a “full transfer” of Gaza’s population and argued that Israel is not winning the current conflict.

On Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Pollard said he would respect democratic outcomes but believed Israel needed to evaluate its leadership’s performance since October 7. He indicated willingness to work with some political figures but ruled out cooperation with Netanyahu’s chief rival, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, citing Bennett’s involvement in past security decisions.

Pollard will run alongside Nissim Louk, whose daughter Shani Louk was massacred during the October 7 attack. The 22-year-old German-Israeli tattoo artist was killed while fleeing the Nova music festival near Gaza. Her body, which became one of the conflict’s most recognized images after circulating on social media, was recovered by Israeli forces in May 2024.

Louk’s parents emerged as prominent advocates among families of October 7 victims and hostages, campaigning for the return of remains and accountability.

Pollard pleaded guilty in 1986 to espionage after providing Israeli contacts with hundreds of classified documents obtained during his role as a naval intelligence specialist. He received a life sentence in 1987, served 30 years, and was released on parole in 2015. His parole expired in 2020.

He immigrated to Israel in December 2020 after restrictions ended. Israel had granted him citizenship while imprisoned, and supporters long argued his sentence was disproportionate. U.S. officials, however, considered his breach among the most damaging involving an American ally.

Pollard returned to public attention recently following a reported meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee at the American Embassy in Jerusalem. The White House said it was unaware of the meeting, and it remained unclear whether Huckabee sought State Department approval. The CIA expressed alarm, concerned it could signal a softer American position on allied espionage.

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