City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, and 2013 Mayoral hopeful, released the following letter to President Obama regarding former United States Navy Intelligence Analyst Jonathan Pollard. In the letter, Speaker Quinn requests that the President commute the sentence of Mr. Pollard, releasing him from prison.
A Clemency for Pollard, a traditional move U.S. President undertake after their first and last term, would benefit the Jewish Community, that 70% of them voted for Obama’s reelection, and strengthen the US-Israel alliance in the eyes of the Israeli and American public.
“Mr. Pollard has spent more than 26 years in prison for the serious crimes he committed, regarding which he has expressed great remorse,” Quinn’s letter reads. “Mr. Pollard has served a longer time in prison than many others who were found guilty of similar activity on behalf of nations that, like Israel, are our allies.”
“I know I share similar views of many past and current American elected officials, as well as Israeli leaders,” the Speaker indicates a change of times, that has become a consensuses issue, one that has united Israeli and American officials from both sides of the aisle.
“It is time for mercy,” Quinn writes the President. “Commuting the sentence of Mr. Pollard would be viewed as a great act of compassion.”
Therefore, I respectfully urge you to use your constitutional power to treat Mr. Pollard the way others have been treated by our nation’s justice system, and commute his sentence, Speaker Quinn concludes her personal letter.
Speaker Christine Quinn has been a strong advocate for Israel’s peace and security, and has stood up to defend Israel’s right of self defense and lauded the strong US-Israel alliance. New York City is the largest gathering of Jews, out of Israel, which makes her plea more viable and a call of urgency on behalf of the Jewish community in N.Y and elsewhere.