https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-874623> Ex-spy Jonathan Pollard, US envoy Mike Huckabee held secret meeting at US Jerusalem embassyConvicted Israeli-American spy Jonathan Pollard said that his meeting with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee at the American Embassy in Jerusalem was a “personal” conversation to express gratitude, not a political exchange, in a phone conversation with The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
“The meeting, simply put, was a personal affair. That’s it," he said. "The reason I wanted to meet him was to express my deep and sincere appreciation for everything he had done to help me when I was in prison."
According to Pollard, the meeting was “misinterpreted” and used by certain figures, both within the US Embassy and the Trump administration, to try to remove Huckabee.
The convicted ex-spy said he requested the session through his lawyer and emphasized that the discussion was about personal matters, not policy. He added that Huckabee was “very gracious,” and that he would not have considered such a routine conversation as something requiring formal reporting to Washington.
Pollard emphasized that the talk focused on thanking Huckabee for his support and kindness to his late wife, Esther. He also alleged that elements inside the embassy and the US administration misinterpreted and “weaponized” the meeting to discredit the ambassador.
He added that he believed “elements in the CIA station” played a role in how the meeting was interpreted.
Pollard singled out former US ambassador Dan Kurtzer and said he believed someone at the embassy had alerted officials in Washington about the meeting.
"Dan Kurtzer is someone I characterize as an enemy of the State of Israel. He has made some very intemperate remarks concerning me that I find, frankly, kind of shocking," Pollard stated. "I understood, the minute I read the article, where this was coming from."
