For years the Jewish community has been deeply sensitive over unfair but oft-repeated charges of 'dual loyalty' or even of putting Israel's interests ahead of America's. Yet Pollard clearly was an American who put Israeli interests well above his own country's. But the pressure from Israel is considerable. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was defense chief when Pollard was enlisted as a spy, wrote President Clinton on Pollard's behalf last Oct. 22 and talked to the president about it personally at the White House in November. Right before Christmas, Elyakim Rubinstein, Israeli cabinet secretary, wrote another special plea to Mr. Nussbaum.
Nobody believes that.
Given the historic generosity of the U.S. in intelligence as in other matters, until the Israeli government comes clean, I see no need for us to do anything,' asserts James Schlesinger, former defense chief and CIA director. Mr. Schlesinger has it exactly right.