The Critical Offer

by Yitzhak Nir

  The demographic threat: The establishing of the new “Israchin” will neutralize demographic and other internal disputes.

  Four artificial islands: International airport in the sea, tripling the train and road systems, above and under the ground, high-speed trains to Egypt and Jordan. In the future a very high-speed train via Iraq and Iran to Beijing and Shanghai.

  Three water canals: Eilat – Dead Sea; Ashkelon –Arad; Haifa –Sea of Galilee

  G.D.P: Will be tripled.

  “I assume that without total disarmament in Gaza and the West Bank and getting rid of the Jihadists, the Chinese regime will stand at the sidelines, as opposed to the Chinese companies that are already invested here. I am well aware that the Palestinian Authority and the Egyptians have taken upon themselves to join your Belt and Road initiative already. Excellent! At least you’re leaving us our army…” Gershon smiled sarcastically.

  “There’s no need for cynicism, sir. The Chinese are a very smart people. Shall we continue?”

  “Yes. I apologize. But what’s the story about an additional Jewish state, professor?”

  “Don’t run ahead. Let’s continue. ‘Israchin’ will be a Jewish state only, with friendly relations and common commercial interests with China. Observe the following…”

  Israchin

  China will establish an infrastructure for a new state with a population of 10 million Jews - on the Tibetan Plateau. The new state will be a democratic Jewish state, totally self-governed and independent of China, with a basic constitution and separation of Church and state.

  Israchin will be a center of attraction for Israeli and world Jewry who will ‘make Aliyah’ to settle and flourish the state.

  A cutting-edge state: It will be both modern and utopian.

  Demography: It will provide a solution for overpopulation in Israel for the coming decades.

  Infrastructures: Will be put in place by China before settlement begins. Rapid trains, airports, roads and tunnels to China, Tibet, Nepal, India and Vietnam. Dozens of cities and hundreds of community settlements. Electricity based on sun, wind and water, lake economy and high-tech industry.

  Universities and research centers in cooperation between Israel, China and Israchin.

  “Sounds interesting, professor,” Gershon said, attempting to sound indifferent, although he was already becoming curious. “And will this whole business also be worthwhile for the Egyptians as well?”

  “Definitely! The Egyptian population in northern Sinai east of El-Arish is extremely sparse and will not present an obstacle. The profits from the initiative will enable the Egyptians to receive ongoing royalties that will benefit its failing economy and support a devastating population explosion in the next generation.”

  “Up to this point, this is all very generous on your part, Mister Yang. But you are an economics professor and as we all know, there are no free lunches. So first, why is it worthwhile for us? And second, who will finance it?”

  “Don’t worry, Jerry.” The professor was already feeling at home. “As we continue with the presentation, you will understand everything.” Li-Lan smiled at him as though saying “Don’t worry. You are in good hands, suspicious man that you are.”

  “Good, Jerry. Look, for what reason is China holding the global – and especially the American - debits balance? Try to imagine, Jeremiah, in exchange for leasing your territory, China will apportion to you, the Jews, an additional area four times the size of Israel on the Tibetan Plateau. It will be a kind of barter agreement, and the new state’s accelerated construction and development will be financed by us, together with international bonds issued by 300 of the largest banks in the world, in addition to direct Chinese investments.”

  Gershon felt a new anger rising in him. “Excuse me, professor, but I want to understand. So the bottom line, as you like to say, is that you want to take over the entire Land of Israel and exchange it for a new land that you will build for the Jews? A state located in the Himalayas in exchange for the State of Israel? Have you lost your minds over there at Sepcom and in Beijing as well?”

  “Slow down! Nobody is asking you to exchange your state for another one. We are offering an additional, secure and ultra-modern state, for the Jewish people. And apart from that, sir, it will be a totally voluntary transaction! Whosoever wishes to emigrate will do so and those who do not choose to do so will remain here or in the Diaspora. And for your information, the Tibetan Plateau is not in the Himalayas! It is an amazing stretch of land! Look it up on Google Earth and you’ll begin to understand. We’ve even designed the perfect flag for you: Herzl’s idea of the seven stars against a red Chinese background!”

  “And how will you get your money back?”

  “Oh, in the usual way: yields, interest and so on. The initiative is a very profitable one. But as long as we are here, don’t worry; you may consider it a loan...Okay? We need your location as an important hub for us, don’t forget!!”

  …You mean the usual debt-trap, ha? this professor truly believes in his plan… he mused, beginning to get caught up in the idea.

  “Jerry my friend,” he suddenly boomed, “Your bet on only one state, that’s internally divided, that threatened by demography, terrorism, missiles and nuclear bombs - is totally unacceptable!! Don’t you agree, Mr. Jeremiah Stark!?” He regarded him with conviction. “You know as well as I do that every populated square mile of your country is threatened by at least fifty missiles and rockets and that some of them are totally accurate!”

  “So what?”

  “Tell me, have you ever read dystopian books, which describe the catastrophes that are liable to wipe you off the face of the earth?”

  “Yes.”

  “And do you think those books present real possibilities?”

  “Some of them are imaginary, but they definitely raise probabilities in extreme circumstances…”

  “Good! That’s why we’re presenting an offer based on the mutual interests of all the participants in the conflict, in order for such a catastrophe not to even become an imaginary theoretical possibility. You no longer have a choice between good and bad, Mr. Stark. Only between survival - and for that we’re here to help - or extinction, which you are totally capable of achieving on your own! Your ally America is occupied with internal crises and a faltering economy and is pulling out of centers of conflict that have become irrelevant for them. Before long the Americans will turn to you and say, ‘It’s been great fun, guys, but now you’re on your own.’ Don’t you think that’s a real possibility?”

  “Maybe. I’m not a prophet. But I still don’t understand how Iran is connected to your grandiose plan, professor.”

  “I’m surprised at you, being as you are an intelligent and logical person. China needs economic security based on political and military stability. Iran and China have a vast system of economic and political interests. For example, China purchases sixty per cent of its oil from Iran. Stability and security in the Middle East are of mutual interest to Iran and China, and China will never allow that stability to be shaken. The Iranians are smarter than you think. They might continue to proclaim extremist threats of one kind or another in your direction, but they will never harm a country supported and needed by China and one from which it leases governmental land and property for extended periods!!”

  Gershon regarded him without answering. He felt he had already said more than he intended and that he still hadn’t clarified to himself who this professor and his “daughter” really were. In any case, he felt more favorably inclined to the strange, charming and congenial Chinese man standing before him.

  “Okay, Professor Yang,” he continued, still raising objections, “and who in Israel will take charge of this Chinese adventure of yours?”

  “Here is the answer to your question, Jeremiah, and also what will happen after t
he first ninety-nine years.” He smiled like a father gratified that his son was taking an interest and presented the next screen by calling, “Miscellaneous!”

  Miscellaneous

  Security: Each entity will manage its inner security affairs by its own police and inner forces. Israel will maintain its military power.

  Law: Each entity will maintain its existing legal system.

  Continuation of agreements: Every 25 years there will be an opportunity to renegotiate and/or cancel agreements.

  Mutual Demands: The Palestinian demand for right of return will be frozen for 99 years, as well as Israeli demands.

  “And how will we ‘return’ everything to you after ninety-nine years?” Gershon sniggered.

  “Jerry, my friend, don’t be so impatient. It will all go according to the Hong Kong model. The values of democracy, freedom and human rights will constitute the basis for the independent authorities after everything is returned by us. The question of one state or separate authorities will be decided democratically by both Jews and Arabs. In any event, it will not be up for discussion for the next ninety-nine years… It is well known that life has its own dynamic.” He smiled at him.

  “And is there someone here or in the entire world who will accept all or even only part of this?”

  “You will see that they will, when reality forces all of you to do so. But there is some good news: in every generation - that is, every 25 years - you will be able to reconsider the agreement and discontinue it. The risk to you is very small compared to the apocalypses awaiting you. And what are the chances? You can judge for yourself.”

  Gershon sat quietly for a few moments with a serious expression on his face, then got up to leave, with Li-Lan following him. …Interesting… The pupil is not yet ready, but the master is already here…

  “I think I’ve understood the innovations and power of the possibilities you are suggesting, professor. Instead of the old British Mandate over Palestine, a new Chinese Mandate!”

  “Don’t exaggerate or distort my words, Jeremiah! The offer you’ve heard is totally different. It arrives at injury-time in order to save you from yourselves. Getting rid of the British and remaining alone opposite the Arabs in the forties took place dozens of years too soon, if at all, in my opinion…” he ended the sentence almost in a whisper, as if talking to himself.

  “But you must also be aware that you at Sepcom and the guys in Beijing are crazy, yes? So I understand your offer like so: If we assure total disarmament of Hamas and Jihadist groups in Gaza and the West Bank for 99 years, you will build a Chinese base in the eastern Mediterranean that will serve your Belt and Road initiative, whose main principle is achieving food security and continued Chinese growth for coming generations. In exchange - you will freeze and expropriate the conflict, neutralize the Iranian threat and invest in huge developments in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. At the same time, you will prepare an infrastructure for a new Jewish state…” Gershon shook his leg, stretched his shoulders and turned to enter the living room.

  “I couldn’t summarize it any better myself,” Joe smiled at him. “And Jerry, please add that instead of one Jewish state and two Palestinian states, there would be two Jewish states and your total territories will be eight times larger than theirs. The insoluble question of one state or two states will lose validity and no longer be relevant after those ninety nine years.” And then, he put his hands together in the Buddhist prayer position and bowed his head. But Gershon had already entered the living room and walked towards Li-Lan.

  “Mister Jeremiah,” Joe called from behind him, “A small warning! After you read what is on the disc, it will self-destruct. You will receive an opening code for your Red-Bird from me when you are ready. I assume that you use it and not the plebian WhatsApp...In any case, the disc will self-destruct at six a.m. sharp”

  “Professor, please, no electronic messages. Just give me a business card with the code written on it.”

  “Unfortunately, I left my business cards at the hotel. Lili, do you have one of yours for me?”

  …The bastard …Doesn’t leave any tracks, does he?

  “I’ll get you one right away, Dad,” she said and tapped inside on her high heels.

  “So I understand that I only have tonight?” he turned with a searching look, finally trying to decide if the professor was friend or foe.

  “Correct. And another thing, Mister Jeremiah. The Lebanese and Syrians are prepared to host us to discuss a similar offer if you reject it. So you don’t have much time.”

  Gershon’s thoughts began pushing forward without stopping. Maybe it was the whisky or the professor’s pleasant voice, but he suddenly imagined Joe Yang as a Chinese healer in a white robe standing before him with acupuncture needles, chakras, meridians and a cloud of incense… The image pleased him.

  Is that what I should go for instead of radical surgery? Maybe the pupil is ready and the master arrives! He imagined himself as a Buddhist monk in an orange robe kneeling in meditative prayer, needles protruding from his ears, drinking from a cool stream with shining river pebbles reflected in its clear waters. And as he drinks - his little cancer jumps into the burbling spring and joyfully floats off to the Yangtze River and from there to the Shanghai coast of the China Sea, disappearing from his life forever…

  Joe followed Gershon and Li-Lan outside, still stimulated by his lecture and not wanting the evening to end. The lovers embraced near the exit for a long moment. Gershon delightedly inhaled her jasmine scent that had already begun to evaporate and kissed her rosy-red lips, now tasting of whisky.

  Then he broke away from her, looked at Joe straight in the eye and asked without hesitation, “Professor, if you had cancer, which clinic in the U.S. would you recommend?”

  Joe removed his glasses and held onto them, wiping the sweat from his face with his other hand, and after a long moment replied, “Jeremiah, I would not let anyone cut into me. And definitely not poison me with chemotherapy, radiation, burning my healthy organs together with my diseased ones. They don’t know how to heal, Jeremiah! They just delay death and destroy your will to live, and the rest of your quality of life. I would fly to Beijing, to the famous medicine-less hospital founded by Dr. Pang. The Communists closed it, but I heard that it’s been reopened and is now headed by a young master who has visited Israel many times.”

  Li-Lan looked from her father to Gershon and back again, her eyes opening wide with growing anxiety.

  “They cure people there, Jeremiah!” he raised his voice, “Chi-gong, yoga, meditation, fasting, periods of silence, medicinal herbs, healthy diet, acupuncture and, most importantly, a tremendous healing energy that flows freely there, all those things that you in the West are only beginning to understand. Your life will change for the better, and in ways you can’t imagine.” He gave him a long look, his face expressing warmth and sympathy, “And when your time comes, Jerry, you will depart peacefully and thankfully, and your souls will flourish again, in a young body.”

  Gershon was amazed by this short sermon and Li-Lan stared at him with alarm. “No, no, Lili. Don’t worry! It’s not for me. I only asked on behalf of a friend.”

  She hugged him tightly, seeking his desolate lips that were longing for hers, while the compassionate gaze of the professor emeritus rested on them. She slowly removed her hands from his neck, collected a small box wrapped in a purple ribbon from the hall table near the door and placed it in his hand that was hugging her waist.

  “Just another small question, Jeremiah!” her father called after him.

  “Yes?”

  “If you were prime minister here, what would it take for you to accept our offer?”

  Gershon looked at him with surprise, but didn’t reply.

  ...What does he want from me now? Where is he really heading..? But he continued standing silently in the doorway. Then he took a
deep breath, fixed his gaze on the brown eyes with brows raised questioningly and declared quietly and softly:

  “A bloodbath compared to which - all the wars we have fought until now would pale.”

  “And wouldn’t you prefer to avoid all that unnecessary death?!” Joe shouted at him.

  “Good night to you, sir,” he answered and closed the door behind him.

  As the black dragon’s mission was completed for the night, it silently rose above Argaman Towers and with the small amount of power left in its batteries, hovered to the rooftop of 222 Ben Yehuda Street. There it landed softly next to the red flag fluttering limply in the sea breeze.

  Self-Defense

  March 18th, 2025

  The Chinese Embassy’s two black Passat cars went on their way. One waited near the entrance to Argaman Towers and the other stopped at the corner of Jeremiah and Dizengoff Streets.

  Li-Lan and her father descended in the elevator from her apartment, carrying small suitcases and shoulder bags containing their personal computers. They were carefully, elegantly dressed and looked contented. The manly scent of Polo Red aftershave emanated from him; she, wearing a gray pants suit, a white shirt and a purple silk scarf, strode next to him in a cloud of jasmine scent.

  They set down their luggage in the guard’s booth and toured the art exhibition that graced the walls of the long foyer, speaking English in low voices. Rather than appearing to be father and daughter, they looked like a handsome, respectable couple in the prime of life.

  The driver of the Passat that waited next to the car helped load their luggage in the trunk. They climbed in, fastened their seat belts and caught a last glimpse of Israel along Geha Road and Highway One on their way to Ben-Gurion.

  Neither of them imagined that it would be their last journey along the roads of Israel for many years to come.