from the London Sunday Times
September 30 2001
by Peter Hounam
Twelve prominent rabbis from Britain, Israel and several other countries
have demanded the release of Mordechai Vanunu, the Israeli technician jailed
for 18 years in 1986 for revealing the secrets of his country's nuclear
weapons programme to The Sunday Times.
The 12 - who include Yitzhak Newman, a former chief rabbi of the Royal Air
Force - have written to Moshe Katsav, the Israeli president, asking for a
pardon on humanitarian grounds and to "demonstrate the strength of Israeli
democracy and improve Israel's standing in the world".
The request was organised by Daniel Rohrlich, an Israeli-based campaigner
for Vanunu's release, who took part in a vigil outside the presidential
palace in Jerusalem on Tuesday. Similar events were held in other cities
including London and Washington.
Avigdor Feldman, Vanunu's lawyer, said he
is trying to convince the authorities that, after 15 years, none of Vanunu's
knowledge could present a security risk.
Vanunu became concerned at the scale of Israel's nuclear programme after
working in the weapons plant near Dimona in the Negev desert. He has been
refused parole, and may be prevented from leaving Israel when he completes
his sentence in 2004.
