Israel lawmakers appeal to Obama for spy's release
Israeli MPs handed President Shimon Peres a petition on Wednesday urging the United States to release imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, after reports Washington spied on its own allies.
"Pollard has served 29 years in prison for the severe offences he committed," reads the petition, which was signed by 106 of the 120 members of the Israeli parliament and addressed to US President Barack Obama. "The conditions have ripened for his release."
The former US Navy analyst was arrested in 1985 for giving Israel thousands of secret documents about US espionage in the Arab world. He was sentenced to life in prison.
A spokeswoman for Ayelet Shaked of the far-right Jewish Home party, one of the authors of the petition, told AFP the initiative was motivated by the recent revelations of US spying on Israeli leaders.
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