US Considering Releasing Israeli Spy to Boost Mideast Peace Talks | WPN World People News

The United States is talking with Israel about releasing a convicted Israeli spy as part of efforts to extend Mideast peace talks beyond the end of April. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met again with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday morning, as the Palestinians threaten to quit the peace process unless Israel releases more prisoners.

People familiar with these talks say the Obama administration is offering to release convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard later this month, in exchange for Israeli concessions to Palestinians including a freeze on Israeli settlements in disputed territories and the release of additional Palestinian prisoners.

Pollard is a former civilian intelligence analyst for the U.S. Navy who was arrested in 1985 and pleaded guilty to passing classified documents to Israel, including information on Soviet weapons. U.S. presidents have consistently refused Israeli pleas to free Pollard, who was granted Israeli citizenship in 1995.

But he could be released next November after serving 30 years, so he now appears to be a U.S. bargaining chip in talks to reach a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki last week denied reports that Pollard might go free. But on Monday she offered a less demonstrative response, saying simply that he was convicted of espionage and is serving his sentence.

Kerry unexpectedly returned to the region Monday for the second time in less than a week, trying to keep the peace process from collapsing over Israeli demands that Palestinians agree to extend the talks before Israel releases more prisoners.

Palestinians are threatening to quit the talks now if Israel does not free the last group of detainees agreed to in a deal that opened this peace process eight months ago.

As he has throughout these talks, Kerry said he will not speak publicly about U.S. efforts to resolve the prisoner standoff.

"I think it would be inappropriate to get into any kind of judgements about what may or may not occur or happen because it's really a question between the Palestinians and the Israelis and what Prime Minister Netanyahu is prepared to do," he said.

Far-right members of Prime Minister Netanyahu's ruling coalition oppose additional prisoner releases. If U.S. President Barack Obama frees Pollard, it could quiet those objections and give the Israeli leader room to reach a broader settlement.

Breaking with past policy on Pollard appears less of a political risk for Obama because many leading Republicans now support his release, including U.S. Senator John McCain and former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and George Schultz.

Source: Voice of America