In an effort to convince Israel to follow through on its pledge to free the Palestinian prisoners, the Obama administration is reportedly considering an early release for the jailed spy Jonathan Pollard. Pollard is a former U.S. intelligence officer convicted of passing U.S. secrets on to Israel. He is eligible for parole next year, but could be freed under a rumored agreement to salvage the peace talks. At the White House, Press Secretary Jay Carney said no decision has been reached.

Press Secretary Jay Carney: “First of all, the president has not made a decision to release Jonathan Pollard. Jonathan Pollard was convicted of espionage, and he is serving his sentence. As I said yesterday, I don’t have any other update to provide to you on Mr. Pollard’s status. There are obviously a lot of things happening in that arena, and, you know, I’m not going to get ahead of discussions that are underway.”