By Pesach Benson • August 23, 2026
Jerusalem, 23 August, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Former US intelligence analyst and convicted spy Jonathan Pollard announced on Sunday that he is entering Israeli politics and will run for the Knesset.
Appearing with former deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel at the Western Wall, Pollard said he would run for the Knesset on the newly formed “Israel First” party founded by Haskel.
Residents of Elon Moreh in Samaria welcome Jonathan Pollard (center) on Dec. 16, 2022. Photo by Nadav Goldstein/TPS
The 72-year-old Pollard said the failures surrounding Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack had convinced him that Israel has been “abandoned and betrayed” by its leadership.
“With you, I hope there will be a new government dedicated to protecting the land and the people of Israel,” Pollard said.
Pollard said he had known many Knesset members but that after October 7, “no one wanted to take responsibility.”
He also praised Haskel for her past efforts on his behalf, saying she had worked quietly and effectively without seeking credit.
“The only way to prevent another October 7 is to put people like you in positions of responsibility,” Pollard said.
Haskel welcomed Pollard’s decision to join her political platform, saying his support was both a privilege and a responsibility.
Pollard, an American-born Jew, was arrested by the FBI in 1985 while working as a civilian US Navy intelligence analyst in Washington. He pleaded guilty to providing classified information to Israel and was sentenced to life in prison in 1987.
He was released on parole in 2015 and moved to Israel in 2020 after restrictions on his movement expired.
The Canadian-born Haskel is a former Likud lawmaker who later joined Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope party. Haskel broke with Sa’ar in July 2026 after he backed legislation shielding Haredi draft refusers from arrest, which she said undermined national security and her principles.
Israelis will cast their votes on Oct. 27, 2026.
