‘Double Loyalty’ of U.S. Jews?

The letters that pointed to a Jewish “mixed loyalty” allusion stemming from the Jay Pollard spy disclosure create suspicions that the more likely facts of the case would not justify.

First, let it be recognized that the public has been given none of the detailed facts regarding the type of U.S. secrets that Pollard intended to provide to Israel. Although there is no minimizing that disclosure of any kind of U.S. secrets to anyone is deplorable, I feel that the nature of the information most likely to have been involved in this case should be considered before labeling it with the suspicions of “mixed loyalty.”

Israel is concerned with the capabilities and military intentions of her avowed enemies, namely Jordan and Saudi Arabia, both of whom the United States has courted as potential Mideast allies and has furnished sophisticated weaponry.

The National Assn. of Arab Americans has openly charged that classified U.S. information has been leaked to Israel. A report of those charges was carried on Page 4 of The Times (Dec. 24) and refer to information concerning the Arab countries. Whether or not these charges are accurate, there can be no denying that Israel, similar to any other country, would be interested in acquiring any information that threatens its security. Naturally, this cannot include information on U.S. technology, which Israel has not the industry to exploit or to be directed against the United States, which looks upon Israel as its strongest and most dependable and trustworthy ally in the Middle East.

So, until all the facts in this case have been made known, it would at least appear most likely that the Pollard act, which is to be vigorously denounced and prosecuted, did most likely involve matters directly related to the Arab countries. If so, Pollard himself would deny that his actions are indicative of “mixed loyalty.” This case should not be allowed to poison American minds by indirectly associating it with the several recent spy apprehensions in the Washington area, all of which involved disclosures of U.S. defense information to the Soviets.

WILLARD LEVIN

Rancho Palos Verdes