Trump pardons Aviem Sella, Jonathan Pollard’s handler

GIL HOFFMAN

Pollard’s lawyer calls on Sella to reveal truth about Israeli spy

In a departure from protocol, commander Aviem Sella directed the fighter jets that attacked the SAM batteries in 1982 / (photo credit: RAANAN COHEN)

US President Donald Trump issued a pardon on Wednesday to Aviem Sella, an Israeli Air Force colonet, who was indicted by US federal grand jury in March 1987 on three counts of espionage for recruiting Jonathan Pollard to collect US military secrets for the Israeli government, according to the statement from the US press secretary.

“Mr. Sella’s request for clemency is supported by the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer, the United States Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, and Miriam Adelson,” the statement read. “The State of Israel has issued a full and unequivocal apology, and has requested the pardon in order to close this unfortunate chapter in US-Israel relations.”

The pardon was one of 73 Trump granted by Trump hours before he leaves office to be replaced by US President-elect Joe Biden. He also commuted the sentences of an additional 70 people. The pardons and commutations included his former adviser Steve Bannon and those recommended by contributors to Trump like Adelson.

Pollard offered his services to Sella when they met at a lecture when Sella was studying for a PhD at New York University. After Pollard’s arrest, Sella fled to Israel and Israel refused to extradite him to the US.
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, one of Pollard’s lawyers, called on Sella to tell the story of Pollard and the information he provided that helped Israel. She said that if Sella issued an oath or legal testimony to the Americans, it should be published.

“We are happy about Sella’s pardon, but we hope he will finally tell the truth and enable justice to light,” she said. “Pollard has been suffering for 35 years from malicious lies and false accusations that Sella could have easily proven untrue. The time has come for Sella to step out of the shadows and tell exactly what he knows about his patriot who suffered for 30 years in an American prison.”

Pollard’s Israeli handlers were granted immunity from prosecution in the US in exchange for cooperation after Pollard’s arrest. But because Sella’s role was unknown at the time, he was not given immunity. His indictment carried a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $500,000 fine.
The same week of his indictment, Israel angered the US by promoting Sella to brigadier general and commander of the Tel Nof air force base. The US then issued a letter barring visiting US delegations from having any contact with him.

Before that, Sela had a celebrated career in the Air Force and became one of Israel’s most decorated pilots. He flew phantom jets in many of key battles, including the historic engagement during the War on Attrition between American-made jets against Russian pilots in Soviet Mig 21 jets.
He was the head of Air Force Operations during the First Lebanon War, planning Operation Mole Cricket 19, in which the IAD destroyed Soviet-made Syrian surface to air missile batteries in the Bekaa Valley. He was also the commander responsible for planning Operation Opera which saw the destruction of the Osirak nuclear reactor outside of Baghdad in 1981.

A source close to Sella said that he not become embroiled in the Pollard affair, he would have eventually become the commander of the Air Force.

Sella did not return a request to comment to The Jerusalem Post.