Overview
- Jonathan Pollard confirmed he met U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee at the Jerusalem embassy in July, calling it a friendly visit and his first inside a U.S. government office since release.
- The meeting did not appear on Huckabee’s public schedule, and multiple U.S. officials said they were blindsided, with reporting that the CIA’s Tel Aviv station chief was alarmed.
- The White House said it was unaware in advance of the encounter and affirmed the president’s support for Huckabee.
- The State Department, CIA and Huckabee’s office have not provided details, and the embassy issued a generic statement declining to discuss private meetings.
- Pollard said he requested the meeting to thank Huckabee, offered few specifics, accused unnamed U.S. actors and the New York Times of trying to discredit the ambassador, and noted plans to run for Israel’s Knesset.