On Pollard & Pedophiles

Some of my fellow Jews have openly campaigned for the release of Jonathan Pollard, a man who was convicted of spying for Israel. They correctly point out that Pollard has received an unusually long sentence. To these individuals I present the following scenario: let's say an individual

received life imprisonment for the crime of child molestation, a punishment that I would fully support. What would you think of an individual who campaigned on his behalf because the sentence was unusually long by Cook County standards? Even though this sentence is at least twice as long as comparable cases, most people would wonder why of all the cases and criminals, they chose to advocate on behalf of a pedophile. They would wonder if this indicated some underlying sympathy for the criminal and lack of concern for the victim.

Equally when Jews protest on behalf of Pollard, it appears that their loyalties lie more with Israel than the United States. To the typical American, it appears that the sympathies of the protesters lies more with a traitor than with the nation that has granted the Jewish people unparalleled freedom, tolerance and opportunities. And any American politician (Jewish or not) who campaigned on behalf o Mr. Pollard would lend credence to those who speak of the "dangerous influence of the pro-Israeli lobby," which is the last thing that Israel or American Jews needs. Like it or not, in politics and social life, appearance is reality. Sorry Mr. Pollard, you played the game and lost.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Pollard