Pollard collapses in prison cell, rushed to hospital

Israeli agent, who marked 27th anniversary of his arrest two weeks ago, hospitalized in N. Carolina; severity of condition unknown.

By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN, JPOST.COM STAFF
Jonathan and Esther Pollard 370 (photo credit: Courtesy of Justice4JP)
Jonathan and Esther Pollard 370
(photo credit: Courtesy of Justice4JP)
Imprisoned Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard was rushed to a North Carolina hospital on Friday after having collapsed in his jail cell. Pollard’s wife Esther was informed of his hospitalization, but the severity of his condition was not initially known. The Free Pollard Campaign said he had been in great pain in recent weeks.
Pollard, who marked the 27th anniversary of his arrest two weeks ago, was last hospitalized in April after suffering from extreme pain. Sources described his situation at the time as lifethreatening.
His long list of ailments include: Diabetes, nausea, dizziness, blackouts and ongoing issues with his gall bladder, kidneys, sinuses, eyes and feet. He also suffers from Meniere’s disease, which causes him to lose consciousness and fall without warning. Esther Pollard asked the public to pray for her husband, whose Hebrew name is Yonatan Ben-Malka. She said she was very worried about him.
President Shimon Peres and Esther Pollard have issued formal clemency requests to US President Barack Obama, but he has never responded.
US presidents usually grant pardons and commute sentences during the American holiday season that began with Thanksgiving on November 22.