Early friend of Israel freedom among those getting pardon

By Jeff German (contact)

Thursday, Feb. 8, 2001 | 11:36 a.m.

An associate of late Sun Publisher Hank Greenspun in running guns and airplanes to Israel during its 1948 war with the Arabs, was among those former President Clinton pardoned last month before leaving office.

Adolph "Al" Schwimmer, who was convicted in 1949 of violating the U.S. Neutrality Act, was on the list of 176 people whose civil rights were restored by Clinton.

Some of those pardons, such as those involving fugitive commodities trader Marc Rich and herbal remedy magnate A. Glenn Braswell, have been controversial.

But Greenspun's son, Sun Editor Brian Greenspun, said this morning that he was proud of Clinton for restoring Schwimmer's reputation.

"I feel proud to be an American and very proud of my friend, the president," Greenspun said. "He did the absolute right thing in granting this pardon."

Greenspun said he asked Clinton, a Georgetown University classmate, to pardon the 83-year-old Schwimmer, who lives in Tel Aviv, during a Thanksgiving gathering with the president at Camp David.

"He said (to) give me something in writing," Greenspun recalled. "I sent him a letter a couple of days later."

Greenspun said Schwimmer's case hit close to home with his family.

"Al Schwimmer was convicted of violating the Neutrality Act of the United States by putting his life, his future and his freedom in jeopardy to help the newly formed State of Israel survive in its war for independence," Greenspun said. "His was an act of bravery and heroism.

"My father was recruited by Al Schwimmer to aid in the same cause. He, too, was convicted of violating the Neutrality Act. In 1961 President John F. Kennedy gave him a full and unconditional pardon, which restored his civil rights.

"Al Schwimmer did not ask for a pardon then, nor has he ever asked for a pardon. This was something I did on my own because I believe, as the United States Congress believed in 1998, when it passed a resolution commending men like Al Schwimmer as heroes, that it was time for the United States to recognize the selflessness and courageousness of Al Schwimmer's actions."

In his book, "Where I Stand," Hank Greenspun described his colorful days with Schwimmer running guns and airplanes to Israel in the late 1940s.

He talked about meeting Schwimmer one day in Las Vegas in 1947 and hearing about his plans to help Israel.

"To win that war -- or merely to survive it -- the Jews needed weapons, including modern planes," Greenspun wrote.

" 'That's why I'm here,' Al Schwimmer explained to me that day in Las Vegas. 'I know aircraft, and I've flown to Palestine many times.' "

Greenspun explained how he decided then to help Schwimmer and his associates fight for Israel.

"I was at last about to do something rather than mouth the words of a pious vow," Greenspun wrote.