Jonathan Pollard enters Knesset race with Israel First party

Jonathan Pollard, the former U.S. Navy analyst convicted of spying for Israel, officially entered the race for a Knesset seat on August 23, 2026, announcing his candidacy with the new Israel First party led by former deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel. The announcement, made near the Western Wall in Jerusalem, marks a formal step into electoral politics for a figure whose espionage case remains a potent symbol in Israeli national discourse. Pollard, 72, served 30 years in a U.S. federal prison after pleading guilty in 1987 to passing vast amounts of classified intelligence to Israel. He moved to Israel in 2020 following his release.