Jonathan Pollard Joins Israeli Politics, Endorses Sharren Haskel’s Israel Ahead Party

Jonathan Pollard, the former American naval intelligence analyst who spied for Israel, announced on Sunday that he is joining the Israel Ahead party, founded by former deputy minister Sharren Haskel, ahead of the upcoming elections. The announcement was made in a joint statement at the Western Wall, where Pollard expressed his disillusionment with the government’s response to the October 7 attacks, saying, "On October 7, I saw the country abandoned and betrayed. I knew many Knesset members, but after October 7, no one wanted to take responsibility, even until today." He added that the only way to prevent another such event is to place people like Haskel in positions of responsibility, praising her as loyal, effective, and fighting for him without boasting.

Pollard, 72, was arrested in 1985 for spying for Israel while working in the U.S. Navy’s intelligence division, sentenced to life imprisonment, released in 2015, and immigrated to Israel in 2020. Prior to the 2022 elections, he had briefly expressed support for Ayelet Shaked but retracted it the same day due to pressure from right-wing groups.

Sharren Haskel, chair of Israel Ahead, welcomed Pollard’s support, calling him a hero who paid a heavy personal price for his commitment to Israel and the Jewish people. Speaking at the Western Wall, she said, "It is a great honor and responsibility to receive his trust. We believe in a strong, flourishing Jewish and Zionist Israel that protects itself, strengthens settlements, safeguards Jerusalem, and offers its citizens a better future. We do not apologize for who we are and will not give up our right to build the future of the Jewish people here."