The 66-year-old Pollard, who was released from prison in 2015 after serving 30 years of his life sentence for transmitting classified U.S. information to Israel, was allowed to leave the U.S. last month after having been imposed strict parole restrictions for a period of five years.

“We are ecstatic to be home at last after 35 years and we thank the people and the Prime Minister of Israel for bringing us home,’’ said Jonathan Pollard as he was welcomed on Wednesday upon his arrival in Israel, together with his wife Esther.

The Israeli Prime Minister was moved to meet them on the tarmac next to the plane where they recited the Shehecheyanu blessing together.

Netanyahu gave Pollard an Israeli identity card. The Prime Minister told the Pollards that it is good that they have come home where they will be able to start a new life, in freedom and happiness.

‘’No one could be prouder of this country or this leader than we are and we hope to become productive citizens as soon and as quickly as possible and to get on with our lives here.  This is a wonderful country. It has a tremendous future. It is the future of the Jewish people and we’re not going anywhere,” Pollard said.

The 66-year-old Pollard, who was released from prison in 2015 after serving 30 years of his life sentence for transmitting classified U.S. information to Israel, was allowed to leave the U.S. last month after having been imposed strict parole restrictions for a period of five years.

He was granted Israeli citizenship in 1995 and has repeatedly expressed his desire to settle in the Jewish state with his family.