Chanting outside a Georgetown University lecture hall, in which a visiting Israeli molecular biologist is presenting a paper on differentiating pluripotent embryonal carcinoma cells: “Shame on Israel! Shame on Israel!”
375 Defenders and 260 Betrayers.
“And finally, tonight, an update on a story that has captured the hearts of so many around the world—that of young Adia. It’s with concern, but also hopes and prayers, that we report that the improvised orphanage in which Adia had been staying partially collapsed in yesterday’s aftershock. It’s believed that some of the building’s occupants were able to escape, although, as with so many, Adia’s whereabouts are unknown.”
DAY 9
Under the cover of repairmen, a squad of Israeli extremists penetrates the Dome of the Rock and sets it on fire. The arsonists are quickly detained. The prime minister of Israel issues a statement calling the “attempted arson” a “terrorist plot.”
Financial Times: “Hamas’s declaration of allegiance to the Islamic State marks another step toward the unprecedented unification of the Muslim world.”
From the Israeli minister of health’s report to the prime minister: “Hospitals are operating at five-thousand percent capacity, and the influx of American supplies is neither fast enough nor large enough. A cholera epidemic is inevitable, as are dysentery and typhoid. As war approaches, it is necessary to make difficult decisions regarding priorities.”
In a hastily arranged speech in Azadi Square in Tehran, before a crowd estimated at two hundred thousand, the Ayatollah intones: “O Jews, your time has come! You have burned down our Dome of the Rock, and now your fire will be met by fire! We will burn your cities and your towns, your schools and your hospitals, your every home! No Jew will be safe!”
DAY 10
In his daily address to the nation, the Israeli prime minister says, “Our reasons for this morning’s action are simple: by expelling the waqf from the Temple Mount and deploying the IDF to control it, we can show the world that the damage to the Dome of the Rock is minimal and protect the site for as long as it is in danger.”
Europe’s three largest supermarket chains remove kosher food from their shelves amid fears over protesters. In response, a Tory MP tweets: “JEWS are not ISRAELIS! How DARE YOU! #JewsAreKosher.”
American political commentator, responding to the joint declaration of war by Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and Transarabia: “It was a necessary response to the IDF taking the Temple Mount, but there have been rocket attacks and air skirmishes for a week. This only makes it official.”
The ultra-Orthodox population in Jerusalem spreads a rumor that “the Messiah is at the door.”
The American president, addressing a joint session of Congress: “Israel must immediately relinquish control of the Temple Mount to an international peacekeeping force, refrain from any military reprisals, and resume its participation in rescue efforts in the Occupied Territories. If Israel fulfills its responsibilities, she will have America’s unconditional and unlimited support.”
AIPAC adds the president to its list of Betrayers.
DAY 11
Guardian editorial: “The issue isn’t so much who raised the Israeli flag on the Temple Mount, but why hasn’t it been taken down? Israel’s inaction seems designed to inflame.”
The caliph of the Islamic State declares temporary unity with the “infidel Syrian government and Hezbollah.”
Turkish Air Force spokesman: “The computer virus that attacked our air control system, leading to this morning’s multiple crashes, was an act of war.”
The Israeli prime minister assures the American president that Israel neither created nor implemented the alleged virus.
The American president offers the Turkish prime minister unprecedented aid and advanced weaponry in exchange for a vow to stay out of the war.
Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen declare war on Israel.
The United States ends “executive hold” on the pending sale of 60 Harpoon missiles, 185 M1A1 Abrams main battle tank “upgrade kits,” 20 F-16 fighter jets, and 500 American-made Hellfire II missiles to Egypt. The State Department declines to comment.
President of Columbia University’s Hillel chapter, commenting on the first anti-Israel demonstrations led by Jewish students: “The pursuit of justice, especially when it requires introspection and humility, is at the heart of our mission: to enrich the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world.”
CNN: “We have confirmed reports that an American cargo plane, on its way to an airfield in the Negev, has crashed.”
289 Defenders and 246 Betrayers.
DAY 12
Cover of the New York Post: the still-raised Israeli flag beneath the headline DOME OF THE MOCK!
Albania, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, the Gambia, Guinea, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, the Maldives, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan declare war on Israel.
The Ayatollah publishes an open letter to “Iran’s Arab brothers” that concludes: “Your reluctance to allow us into the theater of battle will be your own demise. Whatever our differences, this is our moment.”
The American secretary of state offers the Israeli prime minister “as much aid as is needed” in exchange for control over the war and Israel’s nuclear arsenal. After summarily rejecting the proposal, the prime minister asks, “Why isn’t the president on the phone with me right now?”
Young mother in Tel Aviv: “The rockets are relentless, but the city’s sewage has flooded the shelters, so we just wait outside for whatever will happen.”
In Brussels, the president of the European Union delivers a speech in which he says, “The catastrophe in the Middle East reveals a failed experiment.”
Israel declares war “against all of those seeking to destroy the Jewish state.”
DAY 13
NPR: “The ‘March of a Million’ has never been a fitting name. When it was a coherent march, it numbered fewer than fifty thousand. Now it is numerous, uncoordinated campaigns—many origins, with the shared destination of Jerusalem—which some have numbered at two million.”
A PEW poll finds that fifty-eight percent of American Jews believe the United States should enter the war.
Associated Press reports: “Several Bedouin tribes in the Negev claim that Israeli authorities are handing out potassium iodide to the Jewish population near the nuclear site in Dimona, but not to them.”
Israel offers no response to this, or to Turkey’s belligerent rhetoric, or to claims that Israel is targeting civilian utilities in the largest cities of Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and Transarabia, or to the Transarabian Army’s occupation of the tourist city of Eilat, or to the IDF’s decision to categorically purge Arab Israelis from the Israeli Army, while simultaneously conscripting all Jewish men and women above the age of sixteen for “paramilitary support.”
In major newspapers across America, full-page ads, signed by one hundred evangelical leaders, assert: “We are all Zionists.”
United Nations statement: “With the number of earthquake refugees estimated to exceed twenty million; epidemic cholera, dysentery, and typhoid causing more fatalities than either the earthquake or the war; and an extreme shortage of food, potable water, and medical supplies, the Middle East is facing a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions. We will either respond to this crisis immediately and with overwhelming resolve, or face decades of global instability, and the greatest loss of civilian life since the Second World War.”
DAY 14
Transarabian spokesperson: “Bethlehem and Hebron have not been conquered, they have been reclaimed. This historic victory would not have been possible without our brave brothers from Morocco, Algeria, Libya, and Pakistan.”
The American president to the Israeli prime minister: “It was Mossad. Our plane and Turkey’s.”
br /> “What interest would Israel have in downing a plane of our last non-combatant in the region, much less our closest and most necessary ally?”
“That’s a question for you to ask yourself.”
“I give you my word: Israel was in no way involved with the downing of the American plane.”
Turkey declares war, “in partnership with our Muslim brothers, against the Zionist Entity.”
301 Defenders and 334 Betrayers.
Military assessment given to Israel’s prime minister: “The IDF is nearing collapse in the north and east. The 5th, 7th, and 9th Divisions of the Syrian Army have full control of the Golan Hights, and are preparing an offensive to capture the Galilee. The Transarabian Army has penetrated the Negev.”
Spokesperson for the Israeli settlers, resisting evacuation: “We will die in our homes.”
DAY 15
Ministry of Defense memorandum to the prime minister of Israel:
To follow is our response to your request for three viable strategies to win the war.
Strategy 1: Attrition
Israel has superior medical resources, the disease epidemics are killing at a faster rate than warfare, and a defensive position is less costly to maintain than an offensive one. We will pull back to our defensible borders, enhance our already robust military deployment, and allow the war to be won biologically. We will hasten the process by disrupting lines of medical supply, and more crucially, of water. There are options for taking more proactive steps in this regard, to be discussed in person.
Strategy 2: Overwhelming Act
A nuclear strike would be the most overwhelming display of force, but comes with too many risks, in terms of unmanageable consequences, including reprisals and the American response. Instead, we recommend two dramatic conventional attacks—one in the east, one in the west. The most effective target in the west is the Aswan Dam. Ninety-five percent of Egypt’s population lives within twelve miles of the Nile, and the dam provides more than half of Egypt’s power. With the destruction of the dam, Lake Nasser would run downstream, flooding virtually all of Egypt—massive civilian casualties, certainly in the millions. Egypt would cease to be a functioning society. In the east, we will bomb Transarabia’s main oil wells, crippling the Arabs’ ability to prosecute the war.
Strategy 3: Reverse Diaspora
While the war has exposed a widening gap between American and Israeli leadership, and between American and Israeli Jews, Israel will, with the proper public relations campaign, culminating with a speech delivered by the prime minister, persuade one hundred thousand American Jews to come to Israel to support the war effort.
It will be an enormously costly logistical effort, one that diverts men, equipment, and strategic focus from the planning and execution of military operations. The vast majority of the volunteers will have had no military training or experience, will not be in fighting condition, and will not speak Hebrew. But their presence will force America’s hand militarily. The president of the United States could watch eight million Israeli Jews be slaughtered, but not one hundred thousand American Jews.
Pending your response, we will prepare a full and detailed course of action.
V
NOT TO HAVE A CHOICE IS ALSO A CHOICE
THE I-WORD
“Good afternoon. I want to extend to the people of the region affected by yesterday’s earthquake the deep condolences and unwavering support of the American people. The full extent of the devastation is still unknown, but the images that we’ve seen of entire neighborhoods in ruins, of fathers and mothers searching the rubble for their children, are heartbreaking. Indeed, for a region that is no stranger to suffering, this tragedy seems especially cruel and incomprehensible. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of the Middle East, and also with all of those around our country who do not yet know the fates of loved ones back home.
“I have directed my administration to respond with the full resources of the United States in the urgent task of rescuing those still trapped beneath the rubble, and to deliver the humanitarian relief that will be needed in the coming days and weeks. In that effort, our government, especially USAID and the Departments of State and Defense, is working closely with our partners in the region and around the world.
“There are several urgent priorities. First, we’re working quickly to account for U.S. embassy personnel and their families in Tel Aviv, Amman, and Beirut, as well as the many American citizens who live and work in the region. Americans trying to locate family members are encouraged to contact the State Department at 299-306-2828.”
“Say it,” Tamir told the screen.
“Second,” the president continued, ignoring Tamir, “we’ve mobilized resources to help rescue efforts. In disasters such as this, the first days are absolutely critical to saving lives and avoiding even greater tragedy, so I have directed my teams to be as forward-leaning as possible in getting help on the ground and coordinating with our international partners as well.”
“Say the word!”
“Third, given the many different resources that are needed, we are taking steps to ensure that assisting governments act in a unified way. I’ve designated the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Dr. Philip Shaw, to be our unified disaster coordinator.
“Now, this rescue and recovery effort will be complex and challenging. As we move resources into the Middle East, we will be working closely with partners on the ground, including local government agencies, as well as the many NGOs, the United Nations missions—which appear to have suffered their own losses—and our partners in the region and around the world. This must truly be an international effort.”
“Say the word!”
For the first time in decades, perhaps ever, Jacob remembered the Texas Instruments Speak & Spell he’d had as a child. He brought it to the beach one summer; it melted onto a picnic table and wouldn’t stop repeating “Say it,” not even when it was turned off—like a ghost: “Say it, say it, say it…”
“And, finally, let me just say that this is a time when we are reminded of the common humanity that we all share. Despite the fact that many are experiencing tough times here at home, I would encourage those Americans who want to support the urgent humanitarian efforts to go to WhiteHouse.gov, where you can learn how to contribute. This is not a time to withdraw behind borders, but to extend ourselves—our compassion and our resources—to the people of the Middle East. We must be prepared for difficult hours and days ahead as we learn about the scope of the tragedy. We will keep the victims and their families in our prayers. We will be aggressive and resolute in our response. And I pledge to the region that you will have a friend and partner in the United States of America, today and going forward. May God bless you, and those working on your behalf. Thank you very much.”
“He just couldn’t bring himself to say it.”
“Neither can you, apparently.”
Tamir gave Jacob that most annoying of all looks: the put-on assumption that Jacob must be joking—surely he was joking.
“What? Military? Aid?”
Tamir muted the television, which had moved on to images of fighter jets coring massive apples of smoke, and said: “Israel.”
“Don’t be silly.”
“Don’t you.”
“Of course he said it.”
“Of course he didn’t.”
“He did. He said, the people of Israel.”
“Of the region.”
“Well, he definitely said Tel Aviv.”
“But he definitely didn’t say Jerusalem.”
“He did. But if he didn’t—and I’m sure he did—it’s only for all of the perfectly reasonable reasons you know.”
“Remind me of what I know.”
Tamir’s phone started ringing, and as with every call he’d received since the earthquake, it didn’t have to ring twice. It might be news from Rivka or Noam. It might be a response to one of his dozen attempts to get home. E-mail had come ba
ck early that morning, so he knew they were safe. But there were innumerable unaccounted-for family and friends.
It was Barak calling from upstairs, asking if he could use the iPad.
“What’s wrong with yours?”
“We want two.”
Tamir hung up.
“It’s a regional catastrophe,” Jacob resumed, “not an Israeli one. It’s geological, not political.”
“Nothing is not political,” Tamir said.
“This isn’t political.”
“Give it a few minutes.”
“And if you were somewhat less insistent on hearing your name, it would be somewhat easier to say.”
“Ah…”
“What?”
“It’s our fault.”
“That came out wrong.”
“And can I ask you,” Tamir went on, “who you is? When you say, ‘If you were somewhat less insistent,’ who is the you?”
“You.”
“Me, Tamir?”
“Yeah. Israelis.”
“Israelis. OK. I just wanted to be sure you didn’t mean Jews.”
“Look, it was a statement, and he was being careful.”
“But this isn’t political.”
“He didn’t want to make it political.”
“So what’s the plan?” Julia asked, walking into the room.
“Dumbarton Oaks,” Jacob said.
“Julia,” Tamir said, turning to face her, “let me ask you. Do you feel a need to be careful when one of your friends is injured?”
“Theoretically?”
“No, in life.”
“What kind of injury?”
“Something serious.”
“I don’t know that I’ve ever had a seriously injured friend.”
“Some life.”
“Theoretically? Yes, I’d be careful. If it were necessary.”
“And you?” Tamir asked Jacob.