The Jerusalem Assassin

by Avraham Azrieli

  Prime Minister Rabin stood and walked away from his front-bench seat, up the aisle, to the exit doors.

  Netanyahu paused and turned to the Knesset chairman, who pounded his gavel and said into his microphone, “I ask the prime minister to return to his seat. Please!”

  Rabin lit a cigarette, his back to the Knesset plenum. An elderly secretary in a beige pantsuit brought him a file with documents, and he browsed through, ignoring the noise.

  The chairman pounded his gavel again. “Please! I ask the prime minister to return and hear the opposition’s reply! Please!”

  Several Knesset members went to the door and spoke with Rabin. Netanyahu waited at the podium.

  Itah leaned over and said, “They’re like children!”

  “ Worse,” Lemmy said.

  Down below, Prime Minister Rabin stubbed his cigarette and returned to his seat. The Knesset chairman pounded his gavel.

  “ As we can see,” Netanyahu said, “extreme behavior happens on both sides of the aisle-even on the government side.”

  “ Let’s go,” Lemmy said.

  The Labor Party had offices on the second floor, reached via a wide set of stairs. The elderly secretary took one step at a time, holding the thick file to her chest. They caught up with her.

  “ Excuse me,” Lemmy said, “would you kindly ask Mr. Rabin to spare a moment for a quick hello?”

  “ You’ll have to send a letter requesting an appointment-”

  “ Please tell him that I was the soldier who blew up the UN radar at Government House in sixty-seven. My name is Baruch.”

  The secretary scribbled in her notepad and pointed to a decorative, wooden bench under a bronze sculpture representing the killing fields at Babi Yar. “Wait here. I’ll ask him after the vote.”

  *

  Agent Cohen returned to the apartment an hour later. He handed Gideon a wallet. “Here’s money, credit cards, and identification as special agent assigned to the prime minister’s office, with top security clearance. It will allow you access to every government agency, full cooperation from officials, and total immunity in the line of duty.”

  Gideon collected the wallet. “Why me? Don’t you have enough Shin Bet staffers to chase this guy?”

  “I don’t have anyone from SOD.” Agent Cohen handed him a Beretta 22. “You’ve worked in Europe, you trained with Elie Weiss, you understand Spinoza’s way of thinking. It’s your case now.” Agent Cohen saluted with his stick-taped finger. “From now on, I’m at your service. We can’t afford to fail.”

  “No, we can’t.” Gideon pocketed the wallet and stuffed the gun in his belt. “But where do we start?”

  “I have agents checking out every hotel in Jerusalem and the vicinity for anyone resembling Spinoza. Also, we’ve copied all the security tapes from the King David Hotel, where he spent the night after running into Elie at the entrance.”

  “Were you there?”

  Agent Cohen nodded. “I arrested them.”

  “Did you notice Spinoza?”

  “No. Our agents found him on the security camera tapes later.”

  “Do you think Elie noticed him?”

  Cohen hesitated. “You know, there was an interruption just when we were leaving the hotel.”

  “ Did Elie act up?”

  “ No. Weiss was as cool as a rotting cucumber.” Agent Cohen sat back, struggling to remember. “It was odd. I think Rabbi Gerster tripped. We all stopped, and he yelled something. But later, in the car, a strange thing happened.”

  “What?”

  “That rabbi is a tough one.” Agent Cohen shook his head. “I can’t explain it, but as we drove off from the hotel, he burst out crying.”

  “ Crying? ”

  *

  Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin waited in a large conference room reserved for government meetings held while the Knesset was in session. Two bodyguards frisked Lemmy and Itah at the door, which remained open. Music came from speakers in the ceiling, a Hebrew folksong from the early days of Zionism.

  “ You chose an interesting day to visit,” he said, shaking their hands.

  Itah said, “Are there any boring days here?”

  “ Yom Kippur used to be boring,” the prime minister said. “What’s this about the UN radar? Were you that kid Elie Weiss sent in?”

  “ That was me,” Lemmy said, removing the black hat with the attached beard and side locks. “Sorry about the disguise.”

  “ I’m sure there’s an explanation for this.” Rabin chuckled. “You know, all these years people have called me a military genius, but if not for what you did that morning, they would be calling me an idiot.”

  They laughed.

  “ So tell me what I don’t know,” Rabin said, lighting a cigarette.

  Lemmy quickly retold the story of his recruitment by Elie Weiss in 1967, the destruction of the radar just before Israel’s jets took off, his faked death, and training in Europe as an agent for SOD. He skipped the Koenig account, but described the events of the past week.

  Rabin listened without interrupting. He showed neither surprise nor alarm. When Lemmy finished, he asked, “Your father’s papers?”

  “Here.” He handed the note and documents.

  Rabin read through quickly and removed his glasses. “Interesting, but misguided. I was briefed by Shin Bet last night. Freckles and his right-wing rabblerousing was never authorized by Shin Bet. It was all part of the scheme Weiss cooked up to taint the Likud, culminating in the staged assassination attempt to boost my popularity. Shin Bet confronted Freckles last week and scared him enough to switch his loyalty. They shut down this SOD operation, locked up Elie Weiss, and broke up the ILOT group-I’m told they’re a bunch of kids, boy scouts.”

  “ Boy scouts,” Itah asked, “with guns?”

  “ With blanks,” Rabin said. “Shin Bet confirmed there were no live bullets. It was all a game to make noise in the media, to prime it for the final act of trying to shoot me, also with blanks. But it’s all over now. Finished.”

  Lemmy was taken by his gruff charisma, which radiated the confidence of a man certain of his goals. “Knowing Elie Weiss, I suggest you still wear a Kevlar vest to the peace rally.”

  Rabin chuckled. “What can he do from a hospital bed?”

  “ If anything was supposed to happen on Saturday, he must have set the wheels in motion long ago. That’s how he operates.”

  “ Listen, Weiss is a hero of Zionism, a defender of the Jewish people. I respect his achievements. But his time has passed. I can’t indulge his grandiose ideas, especially not in today’s world. We’re making peace, but he acts as if we’re still in the middle of the Holocaust.”

  “ He’s a very capable man,” Lemmy insisted, “despite his age and emphysema.”

  “ Unfortunately,” the prime minister said. “I’m told he’s dying.”

  “ Even if that’s true, what about Tanya? I saw Shin Bet agents try to kill her.”

  “ How do you know they were Shin Bet?” Rabin lit a cigarette. “The report I received states that, as part of the VIP Protection Unit’s investigation of Weiss’s fake assassination plot, they followed Tanya to Zurich, but lost her there. She apparently travelled to Amsterdam, where she was hit by a tram.”

  “ I was there,” Lemmy said, “and I didn’t push her.”

  “ Perhaps Weiss had other agents in Amsterdam? Some kind of a redundancy?”

  Lemmy had no answer to that.

  “And since you mentioned Tanya, would you know by any chance where she is?”

  “No, but I know she’s in good hands. Someone I trust.”

  “I’m pleased to hear that.” The prime minister smiled. “She’s the most senior woman we have.”

  “In Mossad?”

  “ Probably in the whole Israeli government service.”

  “ Then why were your agents following her?”

  Rabin stood up. “Listen, those Shin Bet boys are entrusted with my personal safety. They do their best to keep me ali
ve. How can I question their loyalty?”

  “ Maybe they’re acting out of misguided loyalty. As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

  “ Touche.” He got up and went to a large board pinned to the wall. “Come, look at this. Maybe it’ll help you understand what I’m dealing with here.”

  The color-coded graph showed the political spectrum. In the center, the tallest bars stood for Labor and Likud. The other parties were listed on the left or the right according to their affiliation.

  On the left were: Meretz, Hadash, Democratic Front for Peace-Communists, Arab Democratic Party, Progressive List for Peace, Hatikva, Movement for Democracy and Aliyah, New Liberal Idea.

  On the right, following Likud, were: Advancement of the Zionist Idea, Tzomet A, Tzomet B, Moledet, Golan Loyalists.

  Below the graph was a list of the religious parties: United Torah Judaism, Sephardic Religious Party/Shas, National Religious Party, Meimad, Geulat Israel, Torah and Land.

  Next was a list of non-partisan groups: Gush Emunim, YESHA (Settlements of Judea and Samaria), Kach/Kahana Khai, Neturay Karta. The third list was of the parties-in-formation for the next elections: Russians’ Party, Pensioners’ Party, Tali, Women’s Party, On Wheels, Mortgage Victims, Natural Law Party, Tzipor, Mothers in Black, Parents Against Silence, Officers Against Occupation, Citizens for the Golan Heights, Pikanti.

  Lemmy asked, “What’s Pikanti?

  Itah answered. “Salad dressing factory’s workers believe they have a good shot at a seat in the Knesset to fight against income tax.”

  “I see.”

  Fourth was a list of Arab groups: PLO, PLO Hawks, PFLP, Al Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah.

  “Do you realize why I don’t have time to worry about Weiss or micromanage my own protection unit?” Prime Minister Rabin pointed to the board. “Israel is boiling, and I have to sit on the lid. And every group of radicals spawns another one, even more idealistic, more pious, more righteous, more extreme. So we have to use administrative detentions and other methods to stay the course.”

  “ Stay in power, you mean,” Itah said.

  “ I didn’t come here to sit in the prime minister’s chair,” Rabin said sharply. “Or to win favor with X, Y, or Z. I see this as the crowning achievement of my life. I started in the Jewish underground, fighting the British. I commanded the army in battles and served as ambassador in Washington. I was prime minister once before, but was too inexperienced in politics. And I’ve served for over five years as defense minister. Now I’m here again at a unique point in time. I feel there’s a real chance to fundamentally change the relationship between Israel and the Arab world, our neighbors, and the Palestinians.”

  “ A noble cause doesn’t sanctify all means.” Lemmy waved at the board with all the parties’ names. “Does it mean nothing that leaders who represent half the population oppose your Oslo Accords?”

  “ I despise them! Who are they? Did they fight like me? Are they responsible for our defense achievements, like me?”

  “ Aren’t they?”

  “The positive elements in the nation stand with me. Come to the peace rally on Saturday night. You’ll see the huge support for peace!”

  “We’d love to attend,” Itah said. “But the goons from the Shin Bet are after us. And they got the police after me on fictional charges.”

  The prime minister waved dismissively. “By the time you reach the Knesset exit, I will have ordered them not to bother you again.” He accompanied them to the door and shook Lemmy’s hand. “You should visit the new promenade at the Government House area. You won’t recognize the place.”

  “Great idea,” Itah said. “Let’s go there right now.”

  *

  The phone rang, and Agent Cohen picked it up. “Yes?” He listened. “With Itah Orr? Are you sure? Then get a team over there!” He slammed the phone and ran to the door.

  “What’s happening? hat’s tl Gideon followed him.

  “Spinoza met Rabin at the Knesset.”

  “ You’re kidding!”

  “ What chutzpah this guy has!” Agent Cohen hit the elevator button repeatedly. “ Shit! Shit! Shit! ”

  The door of the next apartment opened, and the nurse peeked out.

  “We’re done here,” Agent Cohen said. “Pack up.”

  “ But I don’t understand,” Gideon said. “Did Spinoza try to-”

  “No. Visitors are searched at the entrance to the Knesset. No weapons allowed.”

  “ If Elie trained him, Spinoza doesn’t need a weapon.”

  “ Rabin is watched constantly.” The elevator arrived, they rushed in, and Agent Cohen hit the lobby button. “We’re not dealing with someone suicidal. Spinoza is a professional killer who wants to get out safely.”

  “Then why would he risk going into the Knesset to meet Rabin?”

  “Scout the target? Establish rapport? Who the hell knows?”

  “What did they discuss?”

  “I don’t know yet. Itah Orr was with him.”

  “Why is she helping Spinoza?”

  Agent Cohen shrugged. “She probably doesn’t realize what she’s dealing with. For all we know, Spinoza might be disposing of her as we speak.”

  *

  Itah and Lemmy strolled across the forecourt to the main exit, pausing to look at the views of the Israel Museum and the Supreme Court. There was no sign of trouble as they exited though the visitors’ gate and flagged down a taxi.

  “To the Old City,” Lemmy said.

  Traffic was slow in the city’s center, and the cabby dropped them off near the Jaffa Gate. They stopped at a store filled with knickknacks and bought pocket-size binoculars. Passing by David’s Tower, Lemmy found stairs leading up to the top of the ancient wall surrounding the Old City. He led the way to the southern ramparts and found an archer’s slit that the wind and rain had widened over the centuries.

  Across a wide gulch, the opposite ridge was dominated by the massive whitewashed structure of the old Government House, where the British high commissioner had resided until Israel’s independence in 1948, followed by the UN Mideast Command until 1967, when Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan. There was no trace of the giant radar receptor, which Lemmy had destroyed with a bomb on the first morning of the war.

  The most striking view was a long promenade, which crested the ridge all the way to the right, across what used to be the border, and connecting with the main road to Hebron. He trained the binoculars on the boardwalk and scanned it slo wly. The parking area at the eastern end was sparsely used by a few cars and three tour buses. But suddenly two white sedans sped up the access road and let out a group of men. He switched his focus to the parking lot at the western end of the promenade. A similar group arrived there in a hurry. They advanced from both directions, like pincers. They stopped visitors, checked papers, and held up photos to compare faces.

  Itah took the binoculars. She scanned the view across the gulch. “Unbelievable. The prime minister lied to us!”

  “ I don’t think so.” Lemmy took the binoculars and headed back toward David’s Tower.

  “ What are you saying?” She followed him. “Shin Bet won’t act against Rabin’s explicit orders!”

  “ Why not? VIP protection is a tricky business. They have to ignore the wishes of the individual VIP. A public figure cannot dictate the terms of his own protection. On the contrary. Everything must be done to remove a threat, even against his orders.”

  “ But you’re no threat to Rabin.” Itah held his arm as the narrow path atop the ancient wall turned right.

  Lemmy stopped and turned to face her. “What makes you so sure?”

  Itah looked at him.

  The dry wind picked up, stinging them with dust. A muezzin chanted nearby.

  She glanced at the edge of the wall and the long drop to the bottom.

  “ See what I mean?” Lemmy chuckled. “Even you aren’t completely sure. As far as they’re concerned, I could
be a turncoat. As long as I’m walking around, I’m an unacceptable risk.”

  *

  Friday, November 3, 1995

  After midnight, the hospital quieted down. But Elie waited another hour before getting out of bed. In the soft light from the window, he saw Rabbi Gerster rise from his cot and follow him into the bathroom. He pressed the lever to flush the toilet. “Abraham,” he whispered, “are you still committed?”

  “To what?”

  “Preventing another Holocaust.”

  “Counter Final Solution?”

  Elie nodded.

  “I’m committed. But first I must save my son.”

  It was the response Elie had expected. “Lemmy needs no saving. He’s capable of saving himself. He came here to help you. Leave the country, and he will follow you. I’ll make sure of it.” Before Abraham could argue, he added, “Tanya is the one who needs your help.”

  “ I know. But how can I leave the country?”

  “ I’ve prepared papers for you, only I didn’t think you’d need it so soon. Go to Hapoalim Bank, Herzl Boulevard branch. Manager is David Abulafia. He has an envelope for you. Cash, credit cards, German passport under the name Abelard Horch.”

  “ Abelard Horch?”

  “ Lemmy’s father.”

  In the darkness, Rabbi Gerster gripped Elie’s thin forearm. “You were planning to reunite us all along!”

  “ I’m not a monster,” Elie said. “Tomorrow, take a flight to Amsterdam. Look for the Mullenhuis Data Recovery Company. The owner, Carl, will know where to find Tanya.”

  “ How do you know?”

  “ That Dutchman is the only person Lemmy would trust. They’re true friends.”

  His breathing belabored, Elie lay back under the covers in the elevated hospital bed. He watched Abraham get dressed and bunch up the blankets on his cot in the shape of a sleeping person. His shadow bent over Elie’s bed. “Shalom,” he whispered.

  Elie grabbed his shirt and made him lean closer. “Tell her.” He struggled for air. “Tell Tanya.”