EXCLUSIVE – Jonathan Pollard landed in Israel early Wednesday morning, one month after his parole restrictions were lifted and five years after he was released from federal prison after serving 30 years for spying for Israel. He was accompanied by his wife Esther on the flight.
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As the pilots prepared to land, Pollard was called to enter the cockpit, where he was able to hear the Ben-Gurion International Airport control tower welcome him to Israel in Hebrew.
Pollard, who was convicted for spying for Israel while working as a naval intelligence officer in the 1980s, received Israeli citizenship during his stay at the North Caroline prison, where he was held until the parole committee agreed to release him in 2015. He was prohibited from leaving the country for five years following his release.
Due to Esther's medical condition, the Pollards chose to fly by private plane directly from New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport to Tel Aviv. The date for the flight was selected to allow her to continue her medical treatments. The Pollards thanked everyone who continues to pray for her recovery.
Upon learning that Pollard's parole restrictions had been lifted in November, many in Israel hoped the move would pave the way for him to make aliyah. Just two days after the restrictions were lifted, Pollard posted a video saying, he would make aliyah "God willing, very soon!" "The final step to freedom that remains is our return home to the Land and the People we love," he said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Pollard and his wife upon their arrival.
A statement by the Prime Minister's Office said the two recited the Shehecheyanu prayer, as Netanyahu presented the Pollards with their Israeli IDs.
"Welcome home. It's so good to finally see you here," Netanyahu said. "Now you can start over and live your lives free and happy. You are now home."
A visibly emotional Pollard said, "We're excited to finally be home after 35 years. We thank the Israeli people and the Israeli prime minister for bringing us home. No one is as proud of this country and its leader as we are.
"We hope to become productive citizens as soon as possible and move on with our lives. This is a great country with a bright future. [Israel] is the future of the Jewish people and we're not going anywhere."
In a statement, the campaign to free Pollard said, "After 35 years of imprisonment and anguish, Jonathan and Esther Pollard landed in Israel early this morning and were to a temporary place where they will spend their time in quarantine. The date of their arrival in Israel was kept a secret for security reasons, so that the very smallest circle was updated that the move was coming without knowing the exact date."
In a new initiative to mark their arrival, the campaign has invited the public to send letters to the Pollards at letters4pollard@gmail.com.
Pollard, a former civilian intelligence analyst for the US Navy, sold military secrets to Israel while working at the Pentagon in the 1980s. He was arrested in 1985 after trying unsuccessfully to gain asylum at the Israeli Embassy in Washington and pleaded guilty. The espionage affair embarrassed Israel and tarnished its relations with the United States for years.
Pollard was given a life sentence, and US defense and intelligence officials consistently argued against releasing Pollard. But after serving 30 years in federal prison, he was released on Nov. 20, 2015, and placed on parole.
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