The Jerusalem Inception Part 37

Killed in Battle, June 7, 1967.

In the Defense of Israel.

G.o.d Will Avenge His Blood.

A taxicab appeared on the gravel path leading to the site. It stopped, and two women came out of the backseat. Elie watched Tanya and her daughter hurry toward the grave. A few black hats turned to face them, forming a human barrier. Tanya stumbled, and Bira supported her.

At the foot of the grave, Rabbi Abraham Gerster suddenly fell forward. The palms of his hands sank into the fresh soil. A terrible cry tore through the air: "Jerusalem!"

Among the pine trees, Elie's gaunt face twitched. He dropped the burning cigarette and pressed it into the earth with the sole of his shoe. From his pocket he drew a telegram, which had arrived from his agent in Munich that morning, and read it again: Wilhelm arrived on flight as scheduled. He's recovering well. The burns will leave only minor scars on his back. He's already making excellent progress with German p.r.o.nunciation and grammar, but less so with French. Mood is dark at times, but he enjoys the driving lessons, albeit with youthful recklessness. Admission to Lyceum Alpin St. Nicholas confirmed for coming school year.

Elie put the telegram back in his pocket, satisfied. Soon Lemmy would grasp the importance of his mission and embrace his new life as a secret agent in the service of Israel. It was the life he had been destined for since birth. He was his father's son. A natural.

Turning to leave, Elie paused at the sound of Tanya's sobbing. He returned the binoculars to his eyes and watched her push through the black hats and drop to her knees next to Abraham, where they cried together by the heap of fresh soil.

THE END.

Note to the Reader.

While the characters and their deeds are fictional, the political and military leaders, as well as the historic events of 1966-67, are described as accurately as possible. The dire conditions in the divided city of Jerusalem, Israel's international isolation in the face of an all-out Arab a.s.sault, and the Egyptian preparations to engulf the Jewish state in a cloud of poison gas, are all part of a well-doc.u.mented historic record.

It is interesting to note that on June 19, 1967, the Israeli government pa.s.sed a resolution offering a return of the captured territories to the Arabs in exchange for peace. The response came three months later, when the Khartoum Arab Summit issued its famous three No's: "No peace, no recognition, and no negotiation with Israel." The closure of that small window of opportunity seems tragic in retrospect.

My research has benefited from the works of many scholars and biographers, particularly those who partic.i.p.ated in the political and military actions. I'm especially indebted to recent researchers, such as Michael Oren, who enjoyed unfettered access to previously secret sources, including Israeli, Jordanian, and Egyptian veterans of the Six Day War.

For readers interested in further exploration, a list of my primary bibliographical sources appears next.

In writing this book, I had the privilege of loving friends and family, whose enthusiastic support has sustained me along the way. Special thanks to editors Aviva Layton, Natalie Bates, Richard Marek, and Renee Johnson, as well as the professional staff at Creates.p.a.ce.

Bibliography.

Oren, Michael. Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East. New York: Oxford, 2002.

Segev, Tom. 1967 Israel, The War, and the Year that Transformed the Middle East. New York: Metropolitan, 2007.

Moskin, J. Robert. Among Lions: The Definitive Account of the 1967 Battle for Jerusalem. New York: Arbor House, 1982.

Schleifer, Abdullah. The Fall of Jerusalem. New York & London: Monthly Review Press, 1972.

Narkis, Uzi. The Liberation of Jerusalem. London: Vallentine, Mitch.e.l.l, 1983.

Mulligan, Hugh A., et al. Lightning Out of Israel The Arab-Israeli Conflict. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1968.

Nakdimon, Shlomo. Ahead of the Zero Hour The Drama that Preceded the Six Day War. Tel Aviv: Yediot, 1968 (Hebrew).

Efrati, Yigael, Dir.: Follow Me The Story of the Six Day War. Jerusalem: IDF/Israel Film Service, 1969 (VHS).

Teveth, Shabtai. The Tanks of Tamuz. New York: Viking, 1969.

Rabin, Yitzhak. The Rabin Memoirs. New York: Random House, 1979.

Harris, Bill (Director). Yitzhak Rabin Biography. New York: A&E Television, 1995 (VHS).

Arel, Yehuda. Warrior and Statesman Moshe Dayan. Tel Aviv: 1968 (Hebrew).

Dayan, Moshe. Story of My Life. New York: Morrow, 1976.

Dayan, Moshe: Living with the Bible. New York: Morrow, 1978.

Meir, Golda: My Life. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1975.

Eban, Abba. Personal Witness Israel Through My Eyes. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1992.

Sadat, Anwar el. In Search of Ident.i.ty An Autobiography. New York: Harper & Row, 1978.

Dallas, Ronald. King Hussein A Life on the Edge. New York: Fromm Int'l, 1999.

Mansfield, Peter. Na.s.ser's Egypt. New York: Penguin, 1969.

Lacouture, Jean. Na.s.ser: A Biography. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1973.

Raviv, Dan, and Melman, Yossi. Every Spy A Prince The Complete History of Israel's Intelligence Community. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990.

Raviv, Dan, and Melman, Yossi. The Spies: Israel's Counter-Espionage Wars. Tel Aviv: Miskal Yedioth Ahronoth Books and Chemed Books, 2002 (Hebrew ed.).

Katz, Samuel M. Soldier Spies Israeli Military Intelligence. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1992.

Carroll, James. Constantine's Sword The Church and the Jews A History. New York, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001.

Also by Avraham Azrieli.

Fiction:.

The Masada Complex.

Non-Fiction:.

Your Lawyer on a Short Leash.

One Step Ahead A Mother of Seven Escaping Hitler.