Thursday, February 12, 2009

What A Traitor That Kavon Is

Why the Jerusalem Post published this article, The Pollard Affair: Was it dual loyalty?, I do not know.

Not because they can't publish articles like this, but why allow calumny to be aired?

Eli Kavon (his website) is on the faculty of Nova Southeastern University's LifelongLearning Institute in Davie, Florida and has been an adjunct lecturer at Broward Community College (?).

He admits that

there is not always justice for all Americans. I am thinking specifically of Jonathan Pollard. I was disappointed that outgoing president George W. Bush did not pardon Pollard


but from that fairly auspicious beginning, adds

for his treasonous acts of more than two decades ago...Jonathan Pollard betrayed his country...MOST AMERICAN Jews, as loyal supporters as they are of Israel, would never have betrayed this great country like Pollard did. But the Pollard Affair raises many questions about the specter of dual loyalty among American Jews. It is obvious that Pollard did not truly believe he was betraying his country.


And goes on, quoting George Washington and then adding

If Jews are to be citizens with full equality under the law they must "demean [conduct] themselves as good citizens." Did not Jonathan Pollard realize this when he was committing acts of treason against America?


and keeps hammering away:

let us always remember, Jonathan Pollard's treachery may be an exception to the rule when it comes to American Jewry, but the psychology of this traitor - a psychology that denies the possibility of dual loyalty for American Jews who love and support Israel - is a mind-set that lurks behind us all, and will not go away as soon as we might like. The specter of dual loyalty remains. Our divided identity is, today, a reality.


Kavon, as an academic, is an idiot.

Treason and betrayal are not only polemical terms but legal ones. The issue of dual loyalty is a non-starter because: (a) Pollard was helping out a country that should have received the intelligence information in the first place but his superiors were infracting the law by not allowing Israel the information they had and (b) Israel was an ally, not an enemy and certainly not an enemy in wartime.

Jay Pollard was not charged with treason and indeed, did not betray the Unitesd States of America.

But Kavon has betrayed not only Pollard but all his fellow Jews by bringing that term into play in his op-ed. He could have used more correct terms but he didn't because he wanted a brouhaha.

The fool.

And why did the JPost print this piece that way and not demand he alter his terminology?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't agree with what Pollard did, even if it benefited the state of Israel. You do not take an oath of secrecy and allegiance to a basically good government and then violate that oath. Perhaps it would have been better not to have taken the oath at all, but having taken it, Pollard is obligated.

No, I don't think his punishment is proportional; yes, I do think he should be pardoned. But with one tuches, you don't dance at two weddings.

I live in Israel, my primary allegiance is openly and formally to Israel, although I maintain my American citizenship for purposes of visiting family. I do not believe that it is right for Israeli Americans to vote in both elections. Either/or.

Ayelet Survivor said...

What do you expect from a guy who teaches at a community college in Florida?