Why Now? 22 Years Later, Another Jonathan Pollard? (Update)

From the New York Times:

An 84-year-old former Army engineer in New Jersey was charged on Tuesday with leaking dozens of secret documents about nuclear arms, missiles and fighter jets to the Israeli government during the early 1980s, federal prosecutors said.

The engineer, Ben-Ami Kadish of Monroe Township, could face life in prison or possibly the death penalty if convicted on the most serious charge, prosecutors said.

His case is linked to that of Jonathan Jay Pollard, the naval analyst serving a life sentence for leaking documents to Israel around the same time. An Israeli official who came to Mr. Kadish’s house to photograph documents also received information from Mr. Pollard, prosecutors said.

There is a post at Contentions that tries to figure out if there is anything to the timing of the arrest, 2 decades later: whether it might be an attempt to dissuade Bush from pardoning Pollard, tarnishing Israel's 60th anniversary celebration next month, or perhaps the arrest is somehow tied to the AIPAC case that has been collapsing--read the whole thing.

Another theory:

Knesset Member Otniel Schneller (Kadima) commented Wednesday on the arrest of American citizen Ben-Ami Kadish on espionage charges, saying that "arresting an 85-year-old man for something that may have happened 25 year ago, shortly before Israel celebrated its 60th anniversary and just before Bush's visit, raises doubts as to the reasoning of the internal dialoged in the US when it comes to Israel."

"Discrediting the national loyalties of the Jewish minority in the States is all part of the US presidential race," he added.

Of course these theories beg the question: is there ever a good time for an American Jew to be found to be spying for Israel?

UPDATE: Former Diplomat and Washington consultant Lenny Ben-David sees this incident as part of a string of cases where the US applies pressure on Israel when relations become tense:

During the last 30 years, particularly, in times of tension, American officials claimed that Israel stole plans for the Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, diverted nuclear material from a U.S. plant in the 1960s, illegally obtained krytron triggers for nuclear weapons, pilfered computer components from Patriot missiles, and used American technology on the Lavie aircraft that was later transferred to China. The 2005 arrest of two AIPAC staffers is more of the same, and they were charged under the creaky 1917 Espionage Act statute older than Kadish. For years, unnamed American spy-hunters have been looking for an accomplice to Jonathan Pollard. Leaks on these stories almost always took place on the eve of some contretemps with the U.S. State Department.

Today’s case against 84-year-old Kadish reflects more the impatience of the U.S. Secretary of State with Israel’s decision to continue building in Jerusalem and in settlement blocs and to retain security roadblocks. To push ahead in the illusionary Annapolis process at all costs, the State Department must de-emphasize President Bush’s letter to Prime Minister Sharon stating that it is “unrealistic” to seek a “full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949.” With President George Bush on his way to Israel to celebrate Israel’s 60th anniversary, what better way to deflate the goodwill and cut-down the gifts the President is supposedly bringing?

Technorati Tag: Israel and Ben-Ami Kadish.