Oral Question #518: A Knesset Outrage
THE KNESSET - DECEMBER 6, 1995
ORAL QUESTION #518
AMERICAN SPY WHO PASSED INFORMATION TO SAUDI ARABIA POSED BY: (LIKUD) M.K. LIMOR LIVNAT
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE SHEVACH WEISS: The Deputy Minister of Defense will respond to oral question number 518, posed by M.K. Limor Livnat.
M.K. Livnat, please read your question.
M.K. Livnat: Honored Speaker, It is known that recently an American spy Lt. Commander Michael Schwartz, was exposed: he passed classified information to the Saudis. It is also known that the Americans have decided
not
to have him stand trial.I should like to ask:
1) Do we know if this news is true, and whether the information that was passed is linked to Israel's national security?
2) Given the similarity between the cases, will the government of Israel demand the immediate release of Jonathan Pollard, who was given a life sentence?
Speaker Weiss: Honored Deputy Minister of Defense, if you please.
Deputy Minister of Defense
Ori Orr: This will be a short answer. Of all the information that we have, M.K. Limor Livnat, we have no information on any such case.
M.K. Livnat: No information whatsoever?
Dep. Min. Ori Orr: I don't know from where this news appeared in the press. We have no information on any such spy caught by the Saudis. Therefore the rest of the questions...
M.K. Livnat: By the Americans, not by the Saudis!
Dep. Min. Ori Orr: I'm saying, in Saudi Arabia by the Americans. We have no such information. I assure you that if there will be any information, I will send it to you. At the moment there is no information whatsoever.
Speaker Weiss: Thank you very much.
Deputy Minister Orr's response is outrageous!
A NEXUS SEARCH OF THE SCHWARTZ CASE YIELDED 25 PAGES OF MATERIAL!
Why is Israel trying to suppress this case?
Whose interests are being served by Israel's denying the Schwartz Case?
Why isn't Israel demanding to see the material Schwartz compromised so she can take immediate action to remediate damage to her national security?
WHY ISN'T ISRAEL DEMANDING EQUAL TREATMENT AS AN ALLY?
WHY ISN'T ISRAEL DEMANDING THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF JONATHAN POLLARD?
The above is an English translation of the Knesset Record for December 6, 1996. The original Hebrew transcript is available from Citizens For Justice Canada, 416-781-3571 / fax 416-781-3166