From the Jersusalem Post:

“Israel once came close to securing the release of convicted Pentagon spy Jonathan Pollard, but the American security services pulled the plug on the move at the last moment, President Shimon Peres said on Wednesday. During a tour of Safed, the president said that before the last-minute change, it seemed that the US had finally agreed to free the spy. Peres was probably referring to 1998’s Wye River negotiations. He noted that Washington was being ‘surprisingly stubborn”’ on the Pollard issue, adding that nevertheless, Israel was doing everything possible in order to bring about his release.”

Yes, “surprisingly stubborn”—because it usually takes but a few moments for the Americans to back down and appease The Lobby. In this case, however, it appears that a good number of intelligence and military types would immediately resign if Pollard is ever given the chance to take advantage of his Israeli citizenship—conferred by a grateful Israeli government for services rendered.