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CJV president Rabbi Pesach Lerner added in his letter that Pollard “was a model prisoner and has been a model parolee,” and added that “given his wife’s health and need for assistance reaching treatment locations, pharmacies, and even basic needs, the current extreme limitations on Mr. Pollard’s movements are not merely an unjustified part of a disproportionate sentence, but are also causing him and his family unnecessary hardship during a very trying time.”

In the last few days, major American Jewish organizations sent US President Donald Trump a plea to commute the parole of former spy Jonathan Pollard, so he can fully devote his time and care for his cancer-stricken wife, Esther.

[In Hebrew] In recent days, American Jewish organizations have urged US President Donald Trump to remove the restrictions imposed on Jonathan Pollard, to allow him to properly treat his wife, Esther, who has advanced metastatic cancer that has spread to her bones.

Rabbi Pesach Lerner, President of the Coalition for Jewish Values, wrote: “Jonathan Pollard was a model prisoner and has been a model parolee. Given his wife’s health and need for assistance reaching treatment locations, pharmacies and even basic needs, the current extreme limitations on Mr. Pollard’s movements are not merely an unjustified part of a disproportionate sentence, but are also causing him and his family unnecessary hardship during a very trying time.”

Rabbi Lerner, who has tirelessly advocated on behalf of the Pollards for decades, said that his organization calls “upon all relevant officials, including the President himself, to find an appropriate legal mechanism to immediately grant Mr. Pollard his freedom after 30 years behind bars and nearly four years of parole with harsh conditions.”

“We call upon all relevant officials, including the President himself, to find an appropriate legal mechanism to immediately grant Mr. Pollard his freedom after 30 years behind bars and nearly four years of parole with harsh conditions.”

Coalition for Jewish Values calls for release of Jonathan Pollard on humanitarian grounds as Esther Pollard undergoes cancer treatment.

AIPAC celebrates Israel as a first-world democracy and beacon of freedom in the Middle East. J Street, by contrast, is about everything Israel is supposedly doing wrong.

“The Founding Fathers were not atheists, but represented a variety of religious views,” [Rabbi Pesach] Lerner wrote in an email to the Forward…. “The claim that this runs contrary to the Establishment Clause is to misuse a key protection of our religious freedom to instead to squelch and disenfranchise any religious viewpoint.”

Yaakov Menken of the Coalition of Jewish Values told JNS, “I think it remains to be seen. Certainly, the initial reaction is very negative—wanting to avoid endless wars is not a reason to abandon friends and allies to a hateful adversary. But as far as Israel, some argue that the Turks will prevent Iranian weapons from reaching Hezbollah via Syria, which is a good thing.”