Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday read aloud in Parliament a letter asking President Obama for clemency for Jonathan Jay Pollard, left, the American serving a life term in a United States prison for spying for Israel. The letter, which was sent this week, constitutes the first formal and public Israeli appeal for Mr. Pollard’s release. “Even though Israel was in no way directing its intelligence efforts against the United States,” Mr. Netanyahu wrote, “its actions were wrong and wholly unacceptable.” After 25 years in prison, he added, Mr. Pollard “has reportedly served longer in prison than any person convicted of similar crimes, and longer than the period requested by the prosecutors at the time of his plea bargain agreement.” Obama administration officials recently indicated that Mr. Pollard’s release was unlikely.
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