The convicted US spy Jonathan Pollard, who is serving a life sentence in a North Carolina Prison, has been taken to a civilian hospital following deterioration in his health. His condition was not immediately clear. Members of the Committee to Bring Jonathan Pollard Home estimated that the decline in the inmate's health was critical. According to the activists, he was last taken to the hospital in August, when he required emergency kidney surgery. On Thursday, former Hamas captive Gilad Shalit joined a petition calling Peres to push for Pollard's release ahead of the leader's upcoming acceptance of the US' Presidential Medal of Freedom. Pollard, a former US Navy intelligence analyst, was convicted in 1985 of spying for Israel. He was granted Israeli citizenship in 1995.
