U.S. intelligence officials reportedly back strict parole conditions for Pollard
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) United States intelligence officials support the continuation of strict parole conditions for Jonathan Pollard, the Israeli spy who was freed last November after serving three decades in U.S. federal prison, The Daily Beast reported this week.
In declarations filed with the U.S. Parole Commission last Friday, a number of senior U.S. intelligence officials said Pollard still poses a national security risk if left unmonitored.
“Some of the sources and methods used to develop some of the intelligence exposed by Mr. Pollard not only remain classified but are still in use by the intelligence community today,” Jennifer L. Hudson, a senior official in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said in a written statement. Pollard was the only person in U.S. history to receive a life sentence in prison for passing classified information to an American ally (Israel). He was freed on parole.
Pollard’s lawyers have appealed against his parole conditions, which include GPS tracking of Pollard’s movements with an electronic ankle bracelet as well as monitoring of his personal computer and online activities.
Although the current American intelligence officials reportedly back the strict parole conditions, former intelligence officials were frequent advocates for Pollard’s release and rights while he was imprisoned.
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Israel’s first F-35 stealth fighter jet unveiled in Texas
(JNS.org) American defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin on Wednesday unveiled the first of the F-35 stealth fighter jets that Israel will receive by the end of this year.
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Israeli Air Force Chief of Staff Brigadier General Tal Kelman, and other Israeli and U.S, military and government officials attended a ceremony held in Fort Worth, Texas, to showcase Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II fighter jet—which will be known in Israel as Adir, meaning “mighty” in Hebrew.
“The State of Israel is proud to be the first in our region to receive and operate the plane,” Lieberman said at the ceremony, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Lieberman said the F-35 is “the most advanced [fighter jet] in the world, and is the best selection by defense chiefs for safeguarding Israel’s aerial superiority.”
Israel has ordered 33 of the jets and is negotiating to add 17 more. The entire fleet is expected to arrive in Israel by 2021.
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Israel drafting new law to remove terror incitement from social media
(JNS.org) Israeli lawmakers are drafting legislation that could force Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and other social media platforms to remove online postings that incite terrorism.
“There should be some measure of accountability for Internet companies regarding the illegal activities and content that is published through their services,” Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said this week at the 6th Annual International Cybersecurity Conference in Tel Aviv.
Shaked said that Internet companies and state governments need to find ways to cooperate so that malicious and criminal content can be quickly taken down. Israel could use a judicial injunction to have the content removed.
“The Justice Ministry is taking a leadership role in this—for example, we are promoting cooperation with content providers, sensitizing them as to content that violates Israeli law or providers’ term of service,” said Shaked.
The Justice Ministry, Shaked noted, last year set up a cybercrime and cyberterrorism department specifically to deal with child pornography and terrorism.
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Rivlin asks European lawmakers for greater respect of Israel’s sovereignty
(JNS.org) Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday addressed the European Parliament in Brussels, emphasizing Israel’s strong ties with Europe but also stressing that the continent’s lack of respect the Jewish state’s sovereignty—whether it be through “misunderstanding” or “impatience”—needs to be addressed.
“My European friends, we cannot agree on everything. But as friends and as true allies, I call upon you and ask you, let us be patient. Please respect the Israeli considerations, even when different from your own. Respect Israeli sovereignty, and the democratic process of its decision-making. Respect Israel’s staunch commitment, indeed its very duty, to protect its citizens. For us it is the most sacred commandment of all,” Rivlin said.
Rivlin also spoke about the state of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Currently, the practical conditions, the political and regional circumstances which would enable us to reach a permanent agreement between us—the Israelis and the Palestinians—are failing to materialize,” he said.
Rivlin expressed his appreciation of Europe’s desire to see the conflict end, but said that the recently launched French initiative to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal has “fundamental faults” and that such efforts only push a solution to the conflict further away. A French peace summit held in Paris in early June excluded Israeli and Palestinian representatives.
“If the international community really wishes and truly aspires to be a constructive player, it must divert its efforts away from the renewal of negotiations for negotiations’ sake, and toward building trust between the parties, and to creating the necessary terms for the success of negotiations in the future,” Rivlin said.
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