In a short video, Jonathan Pollard turned from a hero of Israel into one who "went out again on espionage missions on behalf of the one who betrayed him" - at least according to Knesset member Dr. Shlomo Karai of the Likud.
Without batting an eyelid, he compared political support for the "Zionist spirit" to espionage, and Ayelet Shaked to those who betrayed Pollard, the Jewish-American who gave Israel vital information for its defense that was hidden from it by the US.
I would not have written these words if Dr. Karai was the only one who slandered the hero of Israel, but minutes after the publication of the support video, many on social media began to criticize him at best and curse him at worst.
People who until a few days ago appreciated his work for the State of Israel suddenly changed their opinion 180 degrees and turned Pollard from a man who sacrificed his life for the survival of the homeland of the Jewish people to a greedy person who betrayed his homeland - the USA - for the sake of money. Even if you don't agree with his opinions The politics of a person who spent his entire adult life in prison for our survival, to be so ungrateful and dismiss his contribution to the defense of Israel as purely utilitarian is sickening.
Some have argued that Jonathan Pollard should have expected it.
After all, this is how politics in general, and Israeli politics in particular - people feel strong emotions, and are involved on a deep level in what is happening, and it was impossible to assume that his support for an unpopular candidate like Shaked, who stole the votes of her voters, would pass without criticism.
I have two things to say to them: the first is that it is sad, and the second is that they are right.
The public discourse reached such a low that it was really impossible to expect anything else, unfortunately.
Pollard, who immigrated to Israel not long ago, perhaps did not expect this to happen to him as well, and this is where the responsibility of the person who introduced him to this mud war comes in - Ayelet Shaked.
After all, she and her party keep complaining about the insults and threats they receive, so that leaves two possibilities - either they don't really believe that there is wild incitement against them, and they only say this for narrow political purposes, or they knowingly put Pollard in this cauldron without considering the prices he will pay for supporting them.
It's carrion and it's prey.
Right.
Pollard is not a child and has full responsibility for the things he chooses to say and support, but where is the humanity of the people of the "Zionist spirit"?
Is there nothing they won't do to get past the blocking percentage?
The most important bottom line is how the story ends.
After less than a day, Pollard was forced to withdraw his support for Shaked and her party.
The official reason was that Shaked, in the most unsurprising possible surprise, did not abide by the summaries with him that included support for certain changes in the list for the Knesset, and a promise to enter only a right-wing government.
The unofficial reason, and I find it hard to believe that there are people who can deny this, is the slime it absorbed in the number of hours the support video was on the air.
If, as it seems today, we will go to more and more election campaigns - and even if not - we must take a long breath or two and put things into context and their true magnitude.
Political support is just political support.
Our life goes on.
Pollard's support does not have the power to transfer Shaked the blocking percentage, so it certainly does not turn him from a hero of Israel into a traitor.
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