Calls for Pollard's Release

This list is only a sampling of thousands of letters and statements sent to successive U.S. Presidents calling for the release of Jonathan Pollard.

All Major Calls for Pollard's Release

  1. Photos & Quotes of Distinguished Americans calling on President Obama to Free Jonathan Pollard
    [Display Ad, as published in Politico, Roll Call, and The Hill]
  2. Notable Quotes in Support of Pollard's Release
  3. Links to Recent letters Calling for Pollard's Release
  4. Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
  5. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter
  6. Former Senate Intelligence Chair David Durenberger
  7. Former Senate Intelligence Committee Senior Staff Member Angelo Codevilla: JPost Article - Original letter from Codevilla
  8. Ex-MI Chief Amos Yadlin
  9. NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn Letter to President Obama
  10. NY Lawmakers Call on President to Release Pollard
  11. Florida Clergy & Communal Leaders
  12. Congressman Robert Andrews
  13. Congressman Brad Sherman
  14. Conference of Presidents Leaders
  15. Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) President Rabbi Rick Jacobs
  16. Congressional Leaders Gary Ackerman and Barney Frank
  17. Congressman Elliot Engel
  18. Congressman Robert Turner
  19. Former National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane
  20. Historic Bi-Partisan Senators' Letter to President Obama
  21. Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
  22. Bishop Chuck Leigh, Apostolic Catholic Church
  23. Agudath Yisrael Executive Vice President Rabbi David Zwiebel
  24. Former Prisoner of Zion Nathan Sharansky
  25. Nigerian Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye's Letter to President Obama
  26. Rabbi David Saperstein, Director and Counsel of the Religious Action Center
    of Reform Judaism and Spiritual Adviser to President Obama
  27. International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists
  28. Former Mayor of NYC David Dinkins
  29. European Jewish Congress letter to President Obama (PDF)
  30. Former Congressman & Obama Confidant Robert Wexler
  31. Congressman Matt Salmon: 2011 - 2013
  32. Former Senator Steven Symms
  33. Congressman Allen West
  34. Letter from Over 100 NY State Legislators
  35. Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, Former U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Adviser
  36. Congressman Lee Hamilton, President's Foreign intelligence and Homeland Security adviser
  37. Noam Shalit, father of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit
  38. 19 Former Soviet Prisoners of Zion
  39. Senator Arlen Specter
  40. Rabbi Capers C. Funnye (President Obama's Rabbi Cousin)
  41. Former CIA Director R. James Woolsey
  42. Former Arkansas Governor & Pres. Candidate Mike Huckabee
  43. US Former Vice President Dan Quayle
  44. Head of International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
  45. Former White House Legal Counsel Bernard Nussbaum
  46. Former Deputy Attorney General Phillip Heymann
  47. Former Secretary of State George Shultz
  48. Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree (President Obama's Mentor and Friend)
  49. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (Official Letter to President Obama)
  50. PM Netanyahu's Speech in Knesset Calling for the release of Jonathan Pollard
  51. Letter from 500+ American Religious and Communal Leaders
  52. Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey
  53. Former Head of Senate Intelligence Committee Dennis Deconcini
  54. Letter to President Obama from 39 Congressmen [The Barney Frank Letter]
  55. Republican Leader/Activist Gary Bauer
  56. Congressmen Barney Frank, Bill Pascrell Jr. Ed Towns, Anthony Weiner
  57. Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Lawrence Korb
  58. Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu Zt'L, Former Chief Rabbi of Israel And Rishon LeTzion
  59. Former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger

Other Calls for Pollard's Release

Historic Israeli Knesset Petitions (signed by virtually all Knesset Members)

  1. February 6, 2002
  2. July 21, 2003

Government Resolutions and Letters

  1. Beverly Hills
  2. Chicago
  3. Miami Beach
  4. New Jersey
  5. New York City
  6. New York State Assembly
  7. The European Parliament Members of Congress - PDF

Notable Individuals

  1. ADL Director Abe Foxman
  2. US Presidential Herman Cain
  3. Former Congressman & Obama Confidant Robert Wexler
  4. Congressman Matt Salmon
  5. Former Senator Steven Symms
  6. Senator Alan Simpson
  7. Rep. Michael Grimm
  8. Pat Robertson
  9. Senator John McCain
  10. Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, Former U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Adviser
  11. Rabbi Capers C. Funnye (President Obama's Rabbi Cousin)
  12. Former CIA Director James Woolsey
  13. Donald A. Levy: Former US Navy Cryptologist & Damage Assessor
  14. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: 1997 - 1998
  15. Dr. Hagai Ben-Artzi, PM Netanyahu's brother-in-law
  16. Rep. Michael Grimm
  17. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
  18. Moshe Katsav: President of Israel
  19. Israeli Minister of Finance Yaacov Neeman
  20. NYC Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
  21. NYC Mayor David Dinkins
  22. Mrs. Oskar Schindler: 1994, 1995
  23. Elie Wiesel: Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
  24. Benjamin Hooks, NAACP Executive Director: HTML - PDF
  25. Jerome Shestack: President of the American Bar Association
  26. Archbishop of San Francisco John R. Quinn
  27. Former Prisoners of Zion
  28. Former Hostages, P.O.W.s, & Prisoners of Zion
  29. John Butterfill: British MP
  30. Father Drinan: Georgetown University Law Center
  31. Dr. Frank Eiklor: Shalom International President
  32. Dr. Lawrence Korb: Former Assistant Secretary of Defense
  33. Cardinal Francis Law of Boston
  34. Motti Lerner: Renowned Israeli Playwright
  35. Evangelical Leader Ed Steele
  36. David S. Wyman: Author & Historian
  37. A.B. Yehoshua: Israeli Author
  38. William Zimmerspitz: NJ Political Action Committee Chairman
  39. Letter to President Obama from 39 Congressmen [The Barney Frank Letter]
  40. 21 Congressmen appeal to President to commute Pollard's sentence:
    Petition initiated by Gary Ackerman. Signed by Ros Lehiten, King, Schumer, Gilman, Engel, Saxton and 14 others (PDF)
  41. Senator Arlen Spector
  42. Senator Dennis DeConcini: 1996 - 2009 - Aug 2010 - Dec. 2010
  43. Senator Frank Lautenberg
  44. Senator Carol Mosley-Braun
  45. Congressman Gary Ackerman
  46. Congressman Eliot Engel
  47. Congressman Chaka Fattah
  48. Congressman Barney Frank and Colleagues
  49. Congressman Jon D. Fox
  50. Congressman Lee Hamilton
  51. Congressman Peter King
  52. Congresswoman Margolies-Mezvinsky
  53. Congressman Jerrold Nadler: 1993, 2000
  54. Congressman John Olver
  55. Congressman Frank Pallone
  56. Congressman Bill Pascrell: Dec. 1999 - June 2001
  57. Congressman Jim Saxton
  58. Congresswoman Janice Schakowsky
  59. Congressman Charles Schumer: 1993 - 1994 - 1999
  60. Congressman Walter Tucker III
  61. Congressman Henry Waxman
  62. Congressman Anthony Weiner: 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2004 - 2008 - 2011
  63. Congressman Ted Weiss
  64. Congressman Allen West
  65. Congressman Robert Wexler
  66. NY State Senator Seymour Lachman: March 2000 - Sept. 2000
  67. NY State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
  68. NJ Assembly Majority Leader Paul DiGaetano
  69. NY Assemblyman Sam Colman: 1993 - 1996 - 2000
  70. NY Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli
  71. NY Assemblyman Dov Hikind
  72. NJ Assemblyman John Kelly
  73. NY Assemblyman Jeffrey Klein
  74. NJ Assemblyman Gary Schaer
  75. NY Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein
  76. NYC Public Advocate Mark Green
  77. NYC Councilman Noach Dear: 1999 - 2000 - 2001
  78. NYC Comptroller Alan Hevesi: 1999 - 2001
  79. Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer
  80. David Liba'i: Israeli Justice Minister
  81. Amram Mitzna: Mayor of Haifa
  82. Avraham Ravitz: Leader, United Torah Parties
  83. Yossi Sarid: Israeli Cabinet Minister
  84. Arik Sharon: Israeli Opposition Leader

Rabbinical Organizations and Notable Rabbis

  1. 1993: Letter from the 1,000 Rabbis - full Page Ad in NY Times
  2. 2004: Rabbinic Appeal As Pollard Approaches Year 20 In Prison
  3. 2008: The Rabbis' Petition to President Bush
  4. Board of Rabbis of Southern California
  5. Central Conference of American Rabbis: Mar. 1994 - May 1994 - 1995 - 2000
  6. New York Board of Rabbis
  7. Rabbinical Alliance: 1999 - 2019
  8. Rabbinical Assembly
  9. Rabbinical Council of America: Aug 1994 - Oct. 1994 - 2000
  10. Union of American Hebrew Congregations: 1993 - 1994
  11. Rabbi Raphael B. Butler: Orthodox Union, Executive Vice President
  12. Rabbi Shean-Yashuv Cohen,Chief Rabbi of Haifa: 1995 - 1991
  13. Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean, Simon Wiesenthal Center: 1994 - 2000
  14. Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein: Head of International Association of Christians and Jews
  15. Ha Rav Mordecai Eliyahu: Former Chief Rabbi of Israel and Richon LeZion: 2001 - 2002 - 2008
  16. Mandell I. Ganchrow: President, Orthodox Union
  17. Rabbi Yitzchak Goodman: Vaad HaRabbonim of Far Rockaway
  18. Rabbi Marvin Hier: Dean, Simon Wiesenthal Center: 1996 - 2001
  19. Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch: Executive director of ARZA/World Union: March 2000 - October 2000
  20. Rabbi Yitzhak Kaddouri
  21. Rabbi Charles A. Kroloff: President, Central Conference Of American Rabbis
  22. Rabbi Lawrence Kushner: Hebrew Union College
  23. Rabbi Yisrael Lau: Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv
  24. Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Executive VP, National Council of Young Israel: Oct. 2000 - Apr. 2001 - Oct. 2010
  25. Rabbi Mordecai Eliahyu Rishon Letzion: Former Chief Rabbi
  26. Rabbi Haskel Lookstein
  27. Rabbi Yona Metzger: Chief Rabbi of Israel
  28. Sheldon Rudoff: President, Orthodox Union
  29. Rabbi David Saperstein: Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism: March 2000 - October 2000 - December 2000
  30. Rabbi Alexander Schindler: Immediate Past President, Union of American Hebrew Congregations & Vice-President, World Jewish Congress: 1999 - October 2000 - December 2000
  31. Rabbi Morris Sherer: Agudath Israel of America President: 1993 - 1994
  32. Rabbi Yitzchak Sladowski: Executive Vice President, Vaad Harabonim
  33. Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie: President of UAHC
  34. Brigadier General Rabbi Israel Weiss: Letter to Jonathan Pollard - Letter to Esther Pollard
  35. Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman: President, Hebrew Union College
  36. Rabbi Saul Zucker, Director & Rabbi Cary Friedman, Associate Director: Orthodox Union Day School and Educational Services
  37. United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

Jewish Organizations

  1. Agudath Israel: 1993 - 2000 - 2003 - Oct. 2010 - Dec. 2010
  2. Amit Women
  3. Asirei Zion (Prisoners of Zion) Organization
  4. American Veterans of Israel
  5. Bnei Akiva
  6. Canadian Jewish Congress
  7. B'nai B'rith International: Let Pollard Move to Israel
  8. B'nai B'rith President Tommy Baer: 1994 - July 1996 - July 2000 - Nov. 2000 - Apr. 2001
  9. B'nai B'rith International President Richard D. Heideman: July 2000 - Nov. 2000 - Apr. 2001
  10. B'nai B'rith Past President/Chairman of Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations: Seymour D. Reich: July 2000 - Nov. 2000 - Apr. 2001 - Apr. 2001 - Dec. 2010
  11. B'nai Brith Canada
  12. Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations: 1995 - 2000 - 2003 - 2010
  13. Emunah of America
  14. Hadassah: 1994 - 2000 - 2012
  15. International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists (IAJLJ)
  16. JCC on the Palisades
  17. Jewish Political Caucus
  18. Jewish War Veterans of the USA
  19. Labor Zionist Alliance
  20. NA'MAT Women
  21. National Council of Young Israel: 1994 - 2000 - 2019
  22. National Zionist Organization President Morton A. Klein
  23. Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
  24. Toronto Zionist Council
  25. UJF of San Diego: Mar. 1994 - Apr. 1994
  26. Ukrainian Jews Petition for Pollard Release
  27. Women for Israel's Tomorrow (Women In Green)
  28. ZAKA Search and Rescue
  29. Zionist Organization Of America

Other Organizations and Friends of Israel

(Letters and statements are on file with Justice for Jonathan Pollard.) The number of appeals made to successive Presidents in letters, statements or resolutions, for the release of Jonathan Pollard, is historically unprecedented. A list of some of these appeals, divided into 4 relevant sections, follows: I. National, International and Local Organizations The following national, international or local organizations have called for the commutation of Jonathan Pollard's sentence to time served:
  1. Agudath Israel of America
  2. American Jewish Congress
  3. American Jewish League for Israel
  4. Americans For a Safe Israel
  5. Americans for Progressive Israel
  6. American Sephardi Federation
  7. American Zionist Movement
  8. Amit Women
  9. Avocats Sans Frontieres
  10. Bnai Brith International
  11. Bnai Zion
  12. Brith Shalom
  13. Board of Deputies of British Jews
  14. Canadian Council of Reform Zionists
  15. Canadian Friends of the International Christian Embassy
  16. Canadian Holocaust Remembrance Assoc.
  17. Canadian Jewish Congress
  18. Canadian Society for Yad Vashem
  19. Canadian Zionist Federation
  20. Cantors Assembly
  21. Christian Broadcasting Network - Rev. Pat Robertson
  22. Central Council of the Jewish Comm. of Sweden
  23. Christians' Israel PAC
  24. Coalition for Jewish Concerns - AMCHA
  25. COJO of Borough Park
  26. Comite de Coord. des Orgs. Juives de Belgique
  27. Conseil Representatif des Inst. Juives de France
  28. Cooperation Feminine- France
  29. Decalogue Society of Lawyers - Chicago
  30. Emunah Women of America
  31. European Jewish Congress
  32. Evang. Leadership Campaign to Free Jonathan Pollard
  33. Fed. of Polish Jews of the U.S.
  34. Golden Rule Society
  35. Hadassah WIZO of Canada
  36. Hadassah-Women's Zionist Org. of America
  37. Interfaith Resources
  38. Internt'l Assoc. of Jewish Lawyers & Jurists
  39. Internt'l Christian Embassy of Israel
  40. Jewish Action Alliance
  41. Jewish Federation of Mens' Clubs
  42. Jewish Civil Rights Ed. Found. of Canada
  43. Jewish Lawyers Guild
  44. Jewish National Fund
  45. Jewish Political Caucus
  46. Jewish Teachers Assoc. - Morim
  47. Jewish War Veterans of Canada
  48. Labor Zionist Alliance of Chicago
  49. Louis D. Brandeis Soc. of Zionist Lawyers
  50. Mizrachi of Great Britain
  51. National Council of Young Israel
  52. Nat'l Jewish Legal Defense Fund
  53. No. Amer. Jenvish Students Network
  54. No. Subn. Syn. Council (Chicago)
  55. Reform Syns. of Great Britain
  56. Religious Roundtable - Ed McAteer
  57. Religious Zionists of America
  58. Sephardic Society of Manhattan
  59. Simon Wiesenthal Center
  60. Societe Civile Profesionelle d'Avocats
  61. Synagogue Council of America
  62. Toronoto Zionist Council
  63. Union of American Hebrew Cong.
  64. Union of Orth. Jewish Congs. of Arner.
  65. United Syn. of Great Britain
  66. Union for Traditional Judaism
  67. Union of Councils for Soviet Jews
  68. World Jewish Congress - Amer. Sec.
  69. World Union of Progressive Judaism
  70. World Zionist Congress - 32nd session Zionist Organization of America
II. Legislative Bodies
  1. The European Parliament
  2. New Jersey State Assembly
  3. New York State Assembly
  4. City Councils of:
  5. Albany, NY
  6. Beverly Hills, CA
  7. Chicago, IL
  8. Los Angeles, CA
  9. Miami Beach, FL
  10. New York City
  11. W. Hollywood, CA
III. Rabbinic Organizations The following rabbinic organizations have called for the commutation of Jonathan Pollard's sentence to time served:
  1. American Assoc. of Rabbis
  2. Atlanta Rabbinical Association
  3. Bergen Cty. Board of Rabbis
  4. Beth Din of Grtr. Philadelphia
  5. Bridgeport Board of Rabbis
  6. Brooklyn Board of Rabbis
  7. Buffalo Board of Rabbis
  8. Calgary Rabbinical Council
  9. Central Conf. of Amer. Rabbis
  10. Chicago Board of Rabbis
  11. Cincinnati Board of Rabbis
  12. Cleveland Board of Rabbis
  13. Cncl. of Ref. & Lib. Rabbis (UK)
  14. Columbus Board of Rabbis
  15. Dayton Synagogue Forum
  16. East Bay Council of Rabbis
  17. Grtr. Orlando Board of Rabbis
  18. Grtr. Philadelphia Brd. of Rabbis
  19. Grtr. Phoenix Board of Rabbis
  20. Houston Rabbinical Assoc.
  21. Long Island Board of Rabbis
  22. Massachusetts Board of Rabbis
  23. Michigan Board of Rabbis
  24. Minnesota Rabbinical Assoc.
  25. Morris-Sussex Cty. Brd. of Rabbis
  26. New Haven Board of Rabbis
  27. New York Board of Rabbis
  28. No. Broward Board of Rabbis
  29. No. California Board of Rabbis
  30. No. Shore Rabbinical Assoc.
  31. Onh. Rabbin. Cnd. of So. Florida
  32. Oregon Board of Rabbis
  33. Orth. Rabbin. Cncl. of Cleveland
  34. Orth. Rabbin. Cncl. of San Francisco
  35. Rabbin. Alliance of America
  36. Rabbin. Assoc of Grtr. Dallas
  37. Rabbin. Assoc. of Delaware
  38. Rabbin. Assoc. of Grtr. Kansas City
  39. Rabbin. Assoc. of Grtr. Miami
  40. Rabbin. Assoc. of Ottawa
  41. Rabbin. Assoc. of Vanc./Victoria
  42. Rabbin. Board of the Bronx
  43. Rabbin. Cncl. of Grtr. Manchester (UK)
  44. Rabbin. Cncl. of Grtr. Wash. D.C.
  45. Rabbin. Cncl. of Massachusetts
  46. Rabbin. Coll. of Australia & N.Z.
  47. Rabbin. Council of America
  48. Rabbin. Council of California
  49. Rabbin. Council of Canada-East
  50. Rabbin. Council of Grtr. Baltimore
  51. Rabbin. Council of London (UK)
  52. Rabbin. Council of Ontario
  53. Rabbin. Fllwshp. of Grtr. Pittsburgh
  54. Rabbinical Assembly
  55. Reconstructionist Rabbin. Assoc.
  56. Rhode Island Board of Rabbis
  57. Rochester Board of Rabbis
  58. Rockland Cty. Board of Rabbis
  59. Rocky Mountain Rabbin. Council
  60. San Diego Rabbin. Assoc.
  61. So. California Board of Rabbis
  62. So. Palm Beadh Board of Rabbis
  63. St. Louis Rabbin. Assoc.
  64. Toronto Board of Rabbis
  65. Union County Board of Rabbis
  66. Union of Orth. Rabbis - U.S. & Ca
  67. Vaad Harabonim of Far Rock. & Lawr.
  68. Vaad Harabonim of Flatbush
  69. Vaad Harabonim of Queens
  70. Vaad Harabonim of Toronto
  71. Vaad Hoeir of St. Louis
  72. Washington D.C. Board of Rabbis
  73. Washington State Board of Rabbis
  74. Winnipeg Council of Rabbis
  75. Wisconsin Council of Cong. Rabbis
IV. Jewish Federations & Community Relations Councils The following Jewish Federations & Community Relations Councils have called for the commutation of Jonathan Pollard's sentence to time served: Federations:
  1. Atlanta, CA
  2. Atlantic Jew. Council, Halifax
  3. Berkshires, MA
  4. Chicago, IL
  5. Colorado
  6. Columbia, SC
  7. Columbus, GA
  8. Columbus, OH
  9. Delaware
  10. Des Moines, LA
  11. El Paso, TX
  12. Fort Wayne, IN
  13. Grtr. Charlotte, NC
  14. Grtr. Middlesex Cty., NJ
  15. Grtr. New Haven, CT
  16. Grtr. Rockford, IL
  17. Grtr. Springfield, MA
  18. Grtr. Toronto
  19. Grtr. Vancouver
  20. Greenwich, CT
  21. Jacksonville, FL
  22. Jwsh. Charity Lafayette, IN
  23. Jwsh. Fed. Grtr. Ft. Ldrdl.
  24. Jwsh. Fed. Grtr. Houston
  25. Las Vegas, NV
  26. Lee County, FL
  27. Lincoln, NE
  28. London, Ont.
  29. Memphis, TN
  30. Mich. Cty. UJWF
  31. Montreal
  32. Northwest, IN
  33. Orange County, CA
  34. Palm Beach County, FL
  35. Peoria, IL
  36. Portland, OR
  37. Richmond, VA
  38. Rochester, NY
  39. Rockland, NY
  40. San Diego
  41. Sarasota-Manatee, FL
  42. Shreveport, LA
  43. Sioux City, Iowa
  44. Sioux Falls, SD
  45. South Palm Beach, FL
  46. Southern Arizona
  47. Springfield, MA
  48. The Quad Cities, IL/IA
  49. Vancouver
  50. Volusia & Flaglar Ctys., FL
  51. Waco & Central Texas
  52. Windsor, Ont.
  53. Worcester, MA
JCRC's:
  1. Atlantic & May Ctys., NJ
  2. Bergen County, NJ
  3. Broward County, FL
  4. Boston, MA
  5. Calgary
  6. Central, NJ
  7. Champaign-Urbana, IL
  8. Charleston, SC
  9. Grtr. Clifton-Passaic, NJ
  10. Detroit, MI
  11. Dutchess Cty., NY
  12. Flint, MI
  13. Grtr. Philadelphia, PA
  14. Grtr. San Jose, CA
  15. Jwsh. Fed. Grtr. Buffalo
  16. Los Angeles, CA
  17. Mercer & Bucks Cys., NJ/PA
  18. Metro West, NJ
  19. Minneapolis-St. Paul (ADL)
  20. New York City
  21. Northeastern New York
  22. Oklahoma City, OK
  23. Ottawa
  24. Palo Alto, CA
  25. Pittsburgh, PA
  26. Rhode Island
  27. Saint Joseph Valley, IN
  28. San Francisco, The Penininsula, Marin & Sonoma Ctys.
  29. Scranton/Lakawana
  30. Southern, NJ
  31. Southern IL/Eastern MO /W. Kentucky
  32. Springfield, IL
  33. St. Louis, MO
  34. Steubenville, OH
  35. Syracuse
  36. Ulster County
  37. Youngstown, OH
See Also: