Clinton: I do not expect Pollard to be released

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday that she did not expect any change in the situation of jailed Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard.

“With respect to Mr. Pollard, he was convicted of spying in 1987. He was sentenced to life in prison, he is serving that sentence, and I do not have any expectations that that is going to change,” Clinton said.

Her comments on Pollard came at a press conference following a day of a marathon talks with Israeli officials in Jerusalem. During her visit, Clinton was met by protesters calling for Pollard’s release.

Referring to Iran at the press conference, Clinton said the US will “use all elements of American power to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.”

Clinton said that Iran was one of the focuses of her talks, and said the US will continue to rally the international community, and Tehran is now under greater pressure than ever. This pressure, she said, will increase. She said her consultations were part of an ongoing, in-depth dialogue with Israel.

Clinton dodged a question about whether the administration erred by making the settlements a key issue in the beginning of US President Barack Obama’s tenure.

The secretary of state encouraged Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at a late-night meeting on Monday to come up with a package of gestures to the Palestinians to bring them back to the negotiating table.

Clinton, who met Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad earlier in the day, and who met PA President Mahmoud Abbas in Paris 12 days ago, told Netanyahu that the duo are Israel’s best partners, and it was not clear who may succeed them.

Clinton flew back to the US after midnight, following her meeting with Netanyahu and a brief press conference. continue...