# Jonathan Pollard is Free to Go (to Israel) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 23, 2020, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-pollard-is-free-to-go-to-israel/926258 "2020-11-23T13:07:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-pollard-is-free-to-go-to-israel/926258/1 "2020-11-23T13:07:51Z")
He served thirty years in jail, and five years of probation. Now he is free to go. [-=Linky=-](https://vosizneias.com/2020/11/22/after-parole-terminated-jonathan-pollard-and-his-wife-remove-the-electronic-tracking-device-from-his-leg-and-plan-move-to-israel/) I really have a factual question, **Will the Israelis hand him a big pot of money when he gets there?** What is the etiquette for this awkward situation? I suppose the little sneak will end up in some gated community never to be seen in public again. Any guesses or comments? ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-pollard-is-free-to-go-to-israel/926258/2 "2020-11-23T13:14:57Z")
Who the frak is Jonathan Pollard and why should I care about him and his going to Israel. That link gives absolutely no background whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-pollard-is-free-to-go-to-israel/926258/3 "2020-11-23T13:18:37Z")
[The Wiki page has a good account](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Pollard). ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-pollard-is-free-to-go-to-israel/926258/4 "2020-11-23T13:44:02Z")
As I said in another thread: Look, I’m not a fan of Pollard, but he did his time. There’s no way he still knows any secret information. Let the man go. As for giving him some money: probably not, unless they had some sort of legally-binding agreement with him. I don’t think he’ll disappear into a gated community - mainly because there aren’t really any of those here. He’ll do some talk shows and then fade into obscurity. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-pollard-is-free-to-go-to-israel/926258/5 "2020-11-23T14:31:53Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > He’ll do some talk shows and then fade into obscurity. Not just a few talk shows, and not too much fading, either. Unfortunately, he’s going to get treated like a rock star. There will be enormous crowds cheering him when he steps off the plane, and dozens of right-wing politicians will make pilgrimages to his house, and stage photo -ops with him before every election. And it’s going to be a fairly serious political embarrassment to Israel, It will provide lots of fodder for the Progressive branch of the Democratic party, and the BDS movement, and anti-Semites in general. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-pollard-is-free-to-go-to-israel/926258/6 "2020-11-23T14:33:53Z")
That sort of treatment would be an embarrassment for Israel , as you said. It also seems downright rude. It will be interesting to see how this will go. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2020, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-pollard-is-free-to-go-to-israel/926258/7 "2020-11-23T17:34:20Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Look, I’m not a fan of Pollard, but he did his time. I feel the same and for the same reasons. I wasn’t a fan of the machinations over the years to try to spring him early, but justice has been done here. I don’t think any other potential spies are going to look at Pollard and think, “That guy got off light.”