Israeli Pollard Probe Hits Snag

A former chief justice refused today to join a commission investigating the Jonathan Jay Pollard spy scandal, casting a shadow over Israel’s efforts to restore its lost credibility in Washington.

Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, who initially opposed an investigation, quickly named Tel Aviv attorney Yehoshua Rotenstreich as a replacement. But political analysts said the loss of former Supreme Court President Moshe Landau’s expertise hurt the two-member panel’s credibility. Landau indicated he believes the panel lacks the clout to properly investigate why Pollard, a former Navy civilian intelligence analyst, was recruited to spy on the United States for Israel.