Pollard: Israel Should Have Rejected US-Imposed Ceasefire Deal

Jonathan Pollard sharply criticized Israel’s agreement to the American-imposed ceasefire, calling it a display of weakness and poor leadership. “There’s always another alternative, if you’re willing to stand up for yourself,” he told Arutz Sheva–Israel National News during an interview in Yerushalayim over Sukkos. “I remember having terrible arguments when the American-imposed ceasefire in Lebanon was accepted. I was told, ‘What choice did we have?’ And I laid out a series of options that would have suited us far better than the deal imposed on us.”

Pollard said the same mistake is unfolding again. “Right now, we never should have adopted this plan. Since October 7th, there’s been a vacuum over what the day after would amount to in Gaza. When you have a vacuum, somebody is going to fill it.”

He warned that Israel’s leadership is repeating the same pattern of capitulation. “The country had been completely abandoned by the political and military echelons. I see a government that basically doesn’t really care about the people, the land and people of this country, and is willing right now, both the military and the political establishment, to accept a deal imposed on us by the Americans that will eventually return us to another October 7th.”

Reflecting on the trauma of that day—what he referred to as the “Black Sabbath”—Pollard said the massacre revealed to him the depth of national betrayal. “Up until that time, I had felt that I was the exception to the rule. My abandonment and betrayal by the government was an exception. But when I watched the GoPro video of the Nukba terrorists coming into my security phone, I suddenly realized that we had all been abandoned, all of us.”

He lamented that Israel has failed to achieve conclusive victories in its conflicts. “The problem with that is it’s called mowing the grass or managing the problem. We have never decisively defeated anyone yet on any of our fronts—not the Houthis, not Hamas, not Hezbollah, not Iran. We’re managing that problem, but we haven’t done anything decisively to eliminate it.”

When asked whether total victory is attainable, Pollard pointed to history as proof. “Yes, we saw it during the Second World War, when the Allies declared there would be no compromise—total surrender of the Axis powers. But we here in Israel don’t seem to comprehend that concept very well. We have not defeated Hezbollah. We have not defeated Hamas.”

Turning to U.S.-Israel relations, Pollard expressed appreciation for President Donald Trump’s consistent support but insisted that Israel must act independently. “We should have said no thanks. It’s our blood that’s been spilled, our people that have been slaughtered, our hostages kept under inhumane conditions. These people [in Gaza] are not our friends and never will be.”

He argued that Israel’s leaders should have presented a definitive postwar vision from the outset. “The Prime Minister, on October 8th, should have announced what the day after would be. For me, that would be the total destruction of Hamas, the expulsion of the Gazans, the re-imposition of sovereignty over the land, and the repopulation of Gaza.”

Pollard said he has spoken with Israelis displaced from both the north and south who share his view. “When I ask them what they think of the day after, the answer has been the same: no Arabs, none. These are people who have gone through hell. They saw their families and friends slaughtered and their communities destroyed by the same people that President Trump feels sorry for.”

Discussing the current Sukkos atmosphere in Yerushalayim, Pollard described a painful emotional duality. “Like most Israelis, I’m living what best can be described as a schizophrenic life because I have dear friends right now in Gaza that I’m very concerned about. Yet at the same time, we have to celebrate the Chag. When we have the families over, it’s a very somber occasion.”

He said the holiday feels subdued and marked by the absence of those serving in the field. “You walk around Yerushalayim and I don’t see many young men or women. They’re in the field defending us. So Sukkot for me right now is more a celebration of absence than anything I’m actually enjoying.”

Despite his anger toward the political leadership, Pollard concluded with deep admiration for Israel’s soldiers. “I’m immensely proud of our chayalim. I can’t tell you how proud I am of these men and women who have put on the uniform to defend us. That’s why I can’t conceive of turning over land that so many soldiers have fought and died for to anybody else.”

{Matzav.com}