The name of Israeli Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan is not a household name in the United States as it is in his native country, but many of his movies are.  Those movies include “Pretty Woman,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” and “12 Years a Slave.”

And although it was whispered about, and even occasionally said out loud that Milchan was a spy for his native country, Milchan finally admitted out loud, on television, that he helped Israel purchase technologies in order to develop nuclear bombs.

The story came out in an interview aired Monday, Nov. 25, on Israel’s Channel 2.

“I did it for my country and I’m proud of it,” said Milchan, who ran a successful fertilizer company in Israel before hitting the big time as a movie producer in Hollywood.

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises, at least for Americans, is that Milchan was recruited for his clandestine work by Shimon Peres who currently serves as Israel’s president.

Milchan was part of a special unit whose acronym was LAKAM.  Their mission was to secure the technology for Israel’s secret nuclear weapons program. LAKAM was disbanded when it was compromised by the arrest of Jonathan Pollard, the U.S. Navy Intelligence Analyst who has been incarcerated in prison for 29 years for attempting to pass classified material to Israel.

New Regency is the name of Milchan’s production company, and it has more than 120 films under its belt.  Milchan has worked closely with many of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Robert De Niro.

De Niro, who appears in Israel’s Channel 2 interview, was asked whether he was aware of Milchan’s spying activities.

“I had heard but I wasn’t sure,” said De Niro. “I did ask him once, and he told me that he was an Israeli and of course he would do these things for his country.”

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Yishai broadcasts from the General Assembly of the United Jewish Federations, for this segment, he kicks off talking to Rabbi Pesach Lerner, the Executive Vice President Emeritus of the National Council of Young Israel. Rabbi Lerner is the personal Rabbi of Johathan Pollard, a Jew who has been held in captivity in the United States for over 25 years and Rabbi Lerner gives an update on the condition of Pollard and special insight on his life. Yishai and Rabbi Lerner end by talking about Lerner’s participation in ensuring that tradition is upheld at the Western Wall.

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Malkah joins Yishai to talk about how to explore breaking bad agreements with ourselves personally and as a nation. They move on to talk about Jonathan Pollard’s recently released op-ed, and end with how to graduate to the next level in the upcoming New Year.

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Israel Channel 2 reports that following the US demands that Israel release 82 Palestinian terrorists with blood on their hands as a “gesture” to the Palestinian Authority ahead of the peace talks, PM Netanyahu turned it around and requested from the US, that in exchange, the US should release Jonathan Pollard as a “gesture” to Israel, in order to help Netanyahu sell the release of these mass murderers to his cabinet, and at least be able to claim that Israel achieved something positive from these talks.

The US turned Netanyahu down.

Apparently the US is not prepared to make concessions, offer gestures, or take risks for peace. Only Israel is required to do that.

“What is going on in the minds of Americans when they  insist on keeping Jonathan Pollard in prison and demand  that Israel free terrorists” who have murdered Jews, Housing Minister Uri Ariel asked on Voice of Israel Sunday. “It really is amazing.”

Pollard has been in jail, despite ill health, for 28 years for the crime of passing on classified information on behalf of Israel when he worked for the Pentagon. He is the onlyAmerican ever to be sentenced to life in prison for the offense, which usually bears a prison term of 2-4 years.

Pollard has been in jail, despite ill health, for 28 years for the crime of passing on classified information on behalf of Israel when he worked for the Pentagon. He is the only person ever to be sentenced to life in prison for the offense, which usually bears a prison term of 2-4 years.

Jewish Press editor Yori Yanover wrote on Friday, “Israel is giving in on the release of Palestinian prisoners with Jewish blood on their hands. ‘There will be some release of prisoners,’ said Minister of Strategic Affairs Yuval Steinitz. ‘I don’t want to give numbers but there will be heavyweight prisoners who have been in jail for tens of years.’”

In case anyone as sleeping  with the bears in hibernation at the time, Israel has freed thousands of terrorists and security prisoners for dead bodies and most recently for the return of one live body – kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.

Since the 1000-for-1 exchange  two years ago, dozens of the freed Palestinian Authority Arabs have returned to terror.

Previous releases of terrorists have resulted in more than 120 murders of Jews in Israel by the same Palestinian Authority “resistance fighters.

But their suicide bombings do not compare with the gravity of  Pollard’s crime. If not, why would the American judicial system – which of course is fairer, more modern and more sophisticated than the process in primitive Israel – keep Pollard in jail for life?

Pollard’s crime is obviously so heinous that he was not even allowed to attend the funeral of his father in 2011. Nor was he allowed to leave his cell to attend the funeral of his mother 10 years earlier.

The American government really is not hard-hearted. Officials actually allowed Pollard to call his father a week before his death. His father was too weak to speak on the telephone but so what? That’s not the government’s fault.

Leading American politicians who were in office at the time that Pollard was sentenced have come forth in the past three years to admit that he did not receive a fair trial and  that he was unfairly punished.

Israel, cited every year by the U.S. State Dept. for human rights violations, is apparently ready to free more than 80 terrorists, who have visiting privileges, who received “salaries” from the Palestinian Authority for their previous success in killing Jews, and who are paid by Israel to learn in university.

Israel  perhaps could learn something from the United States, but that will have to wait because  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry needs direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to save his face.

Unlike his widely discussed performance a night earlier, in which, according to media reports, Mr. Weiner looked bored and uninterested, in this room he flourished. He was welcomed as a returning hero. Mr. Weiner showed up a half hour ahead of time, taking the opportunity to greet voters, former colleagues and constituents.

Surrounded by Jewish fans and Orthodox journalists, Mr. Weiner was upbeat, pleasant and sarcastic.

Mr. Weiner reiterated his stance on Metitzah B’peh, as he had already expressed his view in 2005, speaking to reporters before the forum began. Coincidentally, Adam Dickter, editor of the NY Jewish Week, showed up as Mr. Weiner was discussing the issue, reminding him about the 2005 quote that was published in the Jewish Week at the time.

“I am not going to take any vote for granted,” he said.  “If the people of this community want someone that understands their values deep in their kishkas, then they can vote for me.”

Speaking specifically about what he’ll do if elected mayor, Mr. Weiner promised to appoint a non-profit czar, somebody that would be a liaison to the ‘Yeshiva community’ and to the non-profit organizations that feed and provide the necessary programs to those in need. “I never would have sat idly by and let 63 parochial schools close around the city in the last several years. I would do whatever I could that those important institutions stay open,” he said.

Asked by Adam Dickter how he would overcome the negativity in prevailing over the Republican nominee in the general election, Mr. Weiner said, “People are aware of my personal failings. If people want to talk about it a little more, I’ll answer the questions. But I am going to try keep looking forward, keep talking about the issues that are important to the middle class and the issues of this community.”

During the forum, Mr. Weiner genuinely pleased the crowd, arguing his knowledge of the community’s needs and using continuously Hebrew and Yiddish phrases – such as Mikva, Kishkas and Eretz Yisroel. “While you may disagree with me on policy, one thing you can never say is that I don’t understand the Jewish community,” he said. Mr. Weiner also touted his fight for the release of Jonathan Pollard, a popular issue among pro- Israel Jews, twice during the forum.

Despite the rapturous reception, there’s little certainty that his charm offensive  would compel Jewish voters to look at his candidacy as a given.

Many voters like Anthony Weiner. He’s energetic. He’s interactive. Yet they don’t seem to take his candidacy too seriously. At least not as a definite alternative to Bill Thompson and Bill de Blasio, his two competitors for 2nd place in the runoff, who are considered the favorites in the Orthodox Jewish community.

Supporters for the release of Jonathan Pollard from his U.S. federal prison cell are planning a large rally at 6:30 p.m. in Israel on Tuesday in another effort to convince President Barack Obama to free him after nearly 10,000 days in jail.

The demonstrators will stand across the Jerusalem residence of President Shimon Peres, who is to be given a petition signed by more than 185,000 people on Pollard’s behalf.

Activists also are hanging balcony signs along President Barack Obama’s motorcade route during his two and a half day visit starting Wednesday afternoon.

The banners show pictures of Pollard and Obama with the headline, “Yes you can,” a play on Obama’s 2008 campaign slogan ”Yes, We Can.”

The president told Israeli television Channel 2 earlier this week he will not free Pollard now but that his case can come up with review.

Here are excerpts of my Knesset speech regarding Jonathan Pollard’s incarceration:

I would like to thank Knesset member [Avishay] Braverman who openly told us that at least during a certain time period, Jonathan Pollard remained imprisoned because that was also the will of people here, in Israel.

This is a very important statement, which was said in an offhand way. But in my opinion, it is certainly possible that this problem still exists.

Jonathan Pollard is not a traitor. We have to look at Jonathan Pollard through Jewish, Israeli, Zionist eyes. Jonathan Pollard is an Israeli agent. He performed a service for us. It is unthinkable that we should look at Jonathan through American eyes.

Jonathan Pollard is a hero, a hero of Israel. He is a hero who risked his life for us. And who knows how many of us he literally saved.

I have no intention of signing the petition for Jonathan Pollard. It is just meaningless words. It is lip service. I have no intention of being dragged once again into processes that have nothing behind them. Similarly, in my evaluation, this petition will fade away when President Barack Obama arrives here if we, the MKs, do not take tangible action – and I intend to propose just such an action. With it, our loyalty to the person who we sent to risk his life for us will be put to the test.

Our brother, Jonathan, who risked his life for us as our envoy, was not the only one who ran to the Israeli embassy for protection on that bitter day 28 years ago. His direct handler, Colonel Aviem Sella, ran to the embassy with him.

The U.S. forcefully demanded that both men – the Jew and the Israeli – be handed over to them.

We betrayed the Jew, and handed him over to his captors – the FBI agents waiting outside.

As far as the Israeli, we proved that when Israel wants something, it can certainly stand firm. Aviem Sella was not handed over – and a way was even found to bring him back to Israel.

On that day I understood that the state of Israel is not really the state of the Jews. Israel is the state of the Israelis. And from this denial of its identity and its foundations, my friends, Knesset members, Israel is progressively losing the legitimacy for its very right to exist.

I have visited my brother, Jonathan, many times. When I saw him for the first time, I couldn’t stop my tears. It was awkward: he was the inmate, who, despite the terrible torture that he had endured, remained peaceful and calm while I, a free lark, was crying like a baby.

Since then, Jonathan’s picture is on the front door of my house. One cannot enter the Feiglin family home without remembering our brother, Jonathan.

The betrayal of Pollard continues until today. It is hard to believe, but the simple fact is that the prime minister then, the person who authorized the extradition and today serves as president of the state of Israel, until recently never officially requested Jonathan’s release. We often hear that Israel is doing its utmost. We heard that and we will continue to hear it. We will sign petitions. But an official request was never presented – until Prime Minster Binyamin Netanyahu did so after 20 years.

But the resolve is still missing. Our body language – and I am referring to the body language of the regime, not of the nation of Israel and not of the Knesset embers but the body language of those responsible – still says to the Americans, “Keep Pollard to yourselves, we don’t really want him here.”

The type of spying that Pollard conducted is carried out by U.S. agents in Israel as a matter of course and is public information. Israel has the ability to demand and receive our brother, Jonathan, if it wants. If we want!

The president of the U.S. will [soon] arrive in Israel and he will want to speak from this podium. Welcome to Israel, U.S. President Barack Obama – with my brother, Jonathan Pollard.

But if you continue to imprison my brother, Jonathan, you will have to speak to my empty chair. And I hope that more Knesset chairs than just mine will be empty.