Unexpected Pollard meeting exposes U.S. internal turmoil while Israel’s enemies exploit every perceived American weakness.
In a stunning diplomatic twist, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee quietly hosted Jonathan Pollard at the American Embassy in Jerusalem this past July — a meeting that blindsided senior American officials and sent ripples through the intelligence community.
Pollard, now 71, told The New York Times the encounter was warm and understated.
“It was a friendly meeting,” he said, noting that this was the first time in a decade — since his release from federal prison — that he was allowed inside an official U.S. government facility.
But inside Washington, the reaction was anything but friendly.
A Meeting Hidden from Washington—and Against Protocol
Multiple U.S. officials, speaking anonymously due to the classified nature of the details, said the rendezvous was not listed on Huckabee’s official schedule, raising immediate concerns of a breach in diplomatic and intelligence protocol. Pollard remains one of the most sensitive figures in U.S.–Israel intelligence history, and any engagement with him is typically handled with extreme caution.
The CIA’s Tel Aviv station chief reportedly became aware of the meeting only after the fact — and was dismayed at the security implications, according to sources familiar with the fallout.
The White House was equally blindsided.
A senior U.S. administration source confirmed that top aides were “alarmed” when they discovered the unscheduled meeting, which had not received advance approval.
Neither the State Department nor Huckabee’s office has issued a public explanation, while the CIA declined to comment.
A Moment Loaded With Symbolism
For Israel, Pollard is long regarded as a patriot who paid a heavy price for aiding an ally under existential threat. For parts of the U.S. national security establishment, he remains a sensitive historical wound. Huckabee’s quiet outreach — the first of its kind — represents a dramatic break from decades of U.S. diplomatic caution around Pollard.
The meeting also lands in a period of heightened tension, as Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and other anti-Israel actors monitor every shift in U.S.–Israel relations. While Israel grows stronger and more secure through U.S. defense cooperation, internal American disagreements over Israel policy continue to create friction publicly exploited by Israel’s adversaries.
What took place in that room may have been cordial — but the geopolitical consequences are far from quiet.
