Twelve-year-old Tamar Fogel, who lost her parents, two brothers and baby sister in the Itamar settlement terrorist attack three months ago, met last week with convicted spy Jonathan Pollard, who has spent the past 26 years in a U.S. prison and is currently mourning the death of his father. Fogel had expressed her support for Pollard in March while sitting shiva (Jewish ritual mourning period) for her own family members. Pollard's wife, Esther, had brought gifts for the surviving Fogel children on behalf of her husband and told them that he sends his condolences and apologies for not being able to come and see them in person. Fogel's uncle, Yohai Ben Yishai, said on Sunday, "Pollard's cause is very important to Tamar and his prolonged imprisonment pains her. She wanted to meet him while he sits shiva, to strengthen and comfort him in the same way he did [while she sat shiva]." Fogel and her grandfather, Rabbi Yehuda Ben Yishai, left for Europe last week as part of a Bnei Akiva (Zionist youth movement) delegation visiting Jewish communities and Bnei Akiva branches in France and Belgium. After their visit in France, they found out their request to meet with Pollard had been approved. They immediately left for the U.S. and met with Pollard last Thursday. The visit was made possible due to pressure on U.S. government officials by various organizations. Upon her return to Israel, Fogel told her family that the emotionally charged visit with Pollard had been extremely moving. She said that Pollard tried to conceal the fact that his health is deteriorating, though she could not help but notice his weakened condition. The meeting was intense and Fogel said it was difficult for her to see Pollard sitting shiva for his father in jail, after serving so many years in prison. "A very strong bond was formed between the two," the uncle said, adding, "there was a sense of joint pain that united them." He added that his niece reiterated her request to the prime minister to work for Pollard's release.
