Documents Reveal Jonathan Pollard Attempted to Sell US Secrets to Multiple Nations

Jonathan Pollard, the former U.S. Navy intelligence analyst convicted of spying for Israel, was not merely a "principled traitor" but actively sought to sell U.S. secrets to multiple countries, according to recent discussions and historical accounts. A tweet by Branko Marcetic highlighted this aspect, stating, "> Pollard, btw, was not even some kind of principled traitor. He sold the US secrets he stole, and he tried to sell them to multiple countries besides Israel, even feeding them some documents for free." This perspective underscores a long-standing debate about Pollard's motivations and the extent of his espionage.

Pollard served as a civilian intelligence analyst for the U.S. Navy when he began his espionage activities for Israel between June 1984 and November 1985. During this period, he delivered over 800 highly classified documents to the Israeli government, compromising significant U.S. intelligence assets and methods. His arrest in 1985 led to a plea deal, and he was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment in 1987 for violating the Espionage Act.

Evidence suggests Pollard's clandestine activities extended beyond Israel. Former directors of naval intelligence and NCIS investigator Ronald Olive indicated that Pollard offered classified information to at least three other countries before his work for Israel and attempted to sell his services to a fourth while spying for Israel. Specifically, reports allege he passed information to South Africa and repeatedly tried to sell classified documents to Pakistan.

His motivations have been widely debated, with some officials citing greed as a primary factor, alongside his belief that the U.S. was not adequately sharing intelligence with Israel. Then-Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger famously stated that the volume of documents Pollard handed over could fill a space 6 feet by 6 feet by 10 feet, causing "substantially harmed the United States" and compromising intelligence sources globally.

After serving 30 years, Pollard was released on parole in 2015 and moved to Israel in 2020, where he received a hero's welcome from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. More recently, in July 2025, he met with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a meeting that reportedly alarmed some U.S. officials. Pollard continues to advocate for an "Israel first" doctrine, having recently expressed intentions to run for the Knesset and support annexing Gaza.