JERUSALEM: Former US intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard, who served 30 years in prison for spying for Israel, has announced plans to enter Israeli politics on a platform advocating the removal of Palestinians from Gaza.
Speaking to Israel’s Channel 13 television, Pollard said: “I personally prefer the forcible removal of all current residents of Gaza, and the annexation of Gaza and its repopulation by us.”
Pollard, a former US Navy intelligence analyst, was arrested in 1985 after passing classified American military documents to Israeli intelligence.
He later pleaded guilty and served three decades in prison before being released on parole in 2015. He moved to Israel in 2020 after restrictions on his travel expired.
Despite previously receiving support from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his imprisonment, Pollard has since become a vocal critic of Netanyahu’s leadership, arguing that Israel has failed to secure victory in the invasion launched after the Hamas attack.
However, Pollard also indicated he could still support Netanyahu if the Israeli premier remains in power after expected elections later this year.
