Lenny Ben-David's Memo Leaked

...by Lenny himself in this Haaretz guest op-ed:-

How Israel failed to free Pollard by Lenny Ben-David who served as Israel's deputy chief of mission in Washington

I truly believe that Jonathan Pollard could have been released seven years ago, between the November 2000 presidential election and George W. Bush's inauguration in January 2001. Indeed, in my capacity as Israel's number two diplomat in Washington, I drafted a confidential memo to Israel's leadership early in 1999 presenting a comprehensive strategy for securing a presidential pardon for Pollard from the lame-duck president, Bill Clinton, during the three months of the American interregnum.

...according to my notes, the memo recommended a comprehensive, "quiet, behind-the-scenes campaign," including the following:

b Quiet consultations with White House and media personnel to fully understand what works with Clinton, including senior advisor George Stephanopoulos, press secretary Mike McCurry, senior advisor Rahm Emmanuel and CNN's Wolf Blitzer, who knows the Pollard history.

b Resume quiet enlistment of leading theologians to sign a private letter to Clinton asking for Pollard's release, including Billy Graham, Notre Dame president Theodore Hesburgh, leading rabbis, etc.

b Immediate quiet consultations with lawyers and public relations consultants, including some of Pollard's former lawyers, former prosecutors, etc.

b "Maintenance" of Pollard and his wife - hiring a "case worker" who would maintain regular contact, handling health issues, providing for holiday needs, handling personal requests, arranging for synagogue and school mailings to Pollard.

b Developing "release strategies" if full and total release is not in the cards. These could include halfway houses, exile to a Negev kibbutz or yeshiva, paying for an American guard to make sure there is no contact with intelligence sources, promises of a low profile, etc. (If and when he is released, imagine the anger in Washington if CNN showed Pollard escorted to the Western Wall by hundreds of well-wishers and press cameras.)

Read on.