Convicted Israeli-American spy Jonathan Pollard revealed Thursday that his recent meeting with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee at the American Embassy in Jerusalem was strictly personal in nature, pushing back against interpretations that have emerged in Washington circles.
Pollard told The Jerusalem Post in a phone conversation that the gathering was intended solely to express gratitude to Huckabee for support received during his years of incarceration.
The meeting, which was not listed on the ambassador’s public schedule, has reportedly drawn concern from some US officials.
“The meeting, simply put, was a personal affair. That’s it,” Pollard stated.
“The reason I wanted to meet him was to express my deep and sincere appreciation for everything he had done to help me when I was in prison.”
The convicted former spy asserted that certain figures within both the US Embassy and the Trump administration have misinterpreted the meeting in an effort to push Huckabee out of his position.
Pollard said he arranged the session through his attorney and stressed that no policy matters were discussed.
Huckabee conducted himself with grace during their conversation, according to Pollard.
He suggested that such a routine meeting would not typically warrant formal reporting to Washington officials.
Pollard explained that the discussion centered on thanking Huckabee for his support and his kindness toward Pollard’s late wife, Esther.
He further alleged that elements inside the embassy and within the US administration have deliberately twisted the nature of the meeting to undermine the ambassador’s credibility.
The former intelligence analyst went further, claiming that he believes components within the CIA station played a role in how the meeting has been characterized.
Pollard identified former US ambassador Dan Kurtzer by name, suggesting he believes someone at the embassy informed Washington officials about the meeting.
He characterized Kurtzer as hostile toward Israel.
“Dan Kurtzer is someone I characterize as an enemy of the State of Israel. He has made some very intemperate remarks concerning me that I find, frankly, kind of shocking,” Pollard stated.
“I understood, the minute I read the article, where this was coming from.”
Pollard maintained that he possesses confirmation regarding his claims about the source of the controversy.
He explained that he decided to speak with the New York Times to prevent conspiracy theories from taking hold, while continuing to insist the meeting was purely personal.
Pollard and Huckabee met at the US Embassy in Jerusalem, according to reports.
The meeting occurred without public notice and has generated unease among certain US officials, according to that reporting.
Huckabee has articulated a conservative diplomatic stance in interviews conducted this year. Pollard, who relocated to Israel following his release from a US prison sentence for espionage activities, has become increasingly visible in public discourse.
Pollard made a direct appeal to President Donald Trump to retain Huckabee in his ambassadorial role.
He argued that Huckabee represents the administration “better than anyone else I could imagine.”
The convicted spy also called for significant changes to the embassy’s intelligence personnel, advocating for the replacement of current staff with a smaller contingent.
He characterized current embassy intelligence officers as neither supportive of Israel nor aligned with the Trump administration’s interests.
“These people are not friends of Israel, and frankly, I wouldn’t even consider them friends of the Trump administration either,” he said, adding that Trump should “clean out” the CIA.
“The entire CIA station at the US Embassy should be sent home, and a smaller, more professional team should be brought in. A depoliticized team should be brought in to represent the agency.”
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt addressed the matter during a press briefing later Thursday, stating that the White House had no prior knowledge of the meeting between Huckabee and Pollard.
“But the president stands by our ambassador, Mike Huckabee, and all that he is doing for the United States and Israel,” Leavitt said, according to the Post.
The news has since sparked a firestorm from conservatives on X.
