Another Attack of Haaretz Defeatism

One works for Haaretz because one's Zionist commitment is weak; because one's Jewish quotient is deficient; because one's political outlook is radical progressive; and because one's moral standards apply only to Jews and the enemies of Israel and Judaism are afforded self-righteous justification.

You don't believe me or think me too harsh?

Here's an example of Anshel Pfeffer on the Pollard campaign.

Jerusalem & Babylon / Lobbying for Jonathan Pollard will only harm U.S.-Israel ties

It was published just as John McCain is coming onboard, following Henry Kissinger's announcement, as reported:

"At first I felt I did not have enough information to render a reasoned and just opinion,” Kissinger said in his Mar. 3 letter, released today by a public relations firm that has been lobbying for the release of Pollard, sentenced to life in prison for espionage in 1987.

“But having talked with [former Secretary of State] George Shultz and read the statements of former CIA Director [R. James] Woolsey, former Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman [Dennis] DeConcini, former Defense Secretary [Caspar] Weinberger, former Attorney General [Michael] Mukasey and others whose judgments and first-hand knowledge I respect, I find their unanimous support for clemency compelling.”

Shultz was secretary at the time of Pollard’s sentencing.

"I believe justice would be served by commuting the remainder of Pollard's sentence of life imprisonment," Kissinger wrote.

They join quite an impressive list of high-profile personalities over the past few months including

George Schultz
Former US Attorney-General Michael Mukasey
Former US Vice-President Dan Quayle
Senator Arlen Spector
Conference of Presidents
Ex-Rep. Lee Hamilton

and many more, found here.

So, contrary to all these, Pfeffer writes:

Those who think that noisy and provocative lobbying is the way to achieve the Israeli spy's overdue release are dooming him to death in prison, and causing us all a great deal of trouble on the way.

But, to his credit, he realizes his approach is problematic:-

Has everyone gone off their minds and am I the only sane person still around? Why is the whole country joining in this insane carnival and nobody sounding a warning? What has possessed us to join this campaign to release the man who single-handedly caused more damage to Israel's most strategic asset than any other?

His thinking is based on this:-

...there is nothing in the sacred mitzvah of Pidyon Shvuyim ("Redemption of Prisoners" ) that allows the subordination of the welfare and vital interests of the Jewish state and the largest Jewish community in the world to the freedom of one man, no matter how long and how hard he has suffered.

He would have us bvelieve that

While the Israeli politicians prevaricated and lied to the administration and sought to undermine it in Congress, the heads of the defense establishment were the only ones the American felt they could do real business with. The level of trust in the strategic alliance is priceless, and ultimately saves lives.

But what if the continued incarceration of Jay Pollard is indicative of an immoral influence of intelligence community persons - present and former -  who, for many wrong reasons, including Judeaophobic, possess and wield that influence in contradistinction to the law?  What if his sentencing was wrong?  The decision of Caspar Weinberg to pressure the judge?  The bulldozing of President Clinton in 1999 at Wye?

Can Pfeffer consider that possibility?  And that this campaign, in addition to achieving Jay's freedom will ultimagtely set US-Israel relations aright?

No, he takes the normative Haaretz framework of reference, as if a conspiratist:-

From reading the rhetoric of the Free Pollard camp, it is hard to shake free from the impression that they have little interest in improving Israel's relationship with the American administration. A cursory glance at some of the figures there proves that they are of the "a nation to itself" persuasion. Those who think that noisy and provocative lobbying is the way to achieve Jonathan Pollard's overdue release are dooming him to death in prison, and causing us all a great deal of trouble on the way.

He is wrong.

He is wrong because he guesses that the victory of Pollard would very much alter US-Israell relations: from one that is negative and domineering from the US side to one much more understanding of all of israel's needs.

^