The Jerusalem Gambit

by Jack Leman

  Abu Amr looked at the engineer with contempt, but let Karim pull him away.

  There was definitely something different in the air.

  48-Sunday 9:30 am

  Mossad HQ

  Tel Aviv

  When she arrived at the office, Clarit saw the drooping eyes and the tired posture of her boss. She talked to the guards who spent the night with him and they told her that Tamir just had a few hours of rest on his sofa, and that he drank a lot of coffee. Now he looked irritated with his unshaved stubble and in his crumpled shirt.

  “Tamir, you have General Amit of the IAIG on the phone. Shall I get you some coffee?”

  Tamir nodded and took the call.

  “Shalom Tamir,”

  Tamir felt the underlying anxiety in the voice of his friend.

  “Yes…” He answered grumpily.

  “We analyzed the images we got from Sayeret Maglan when the truck and the missile appeared last night. We also checked the images taken by the UAV. It confirms that we have a Fateh missile there, but of an advanced version. The fins towards the tip of the missile are movable. That means the missile has a self-guidance system. And, after a detailed check, we have found out that the welding lines are missing from the body of the missile.”

  “So, what are you telling me?”

  “… that the missile has a non-metallic body and that we have identified it as a Fateh-313.”

  “So?”

  “This is a ballistic missile which will close on its target at the speed of over Mach 3. It has a range of 600km, a GPS self-guiding system, and according to our experts, the suspected precision of the missile may be better than any of our own.”

  Tamir froze. This was unexpected. Such a precision weapon in the hands of a small terrorist group was an enormous threat to Israel, much bigger than he had thought.

  “How long does it take to reach its target?”

  “We estimate about 10 minutes.”

  That was short. Very short.

  “I ask again because I want to hear your precise answer: what if we take out the missile on the ground? Can you do that, yes or no?”

  “Yes, we can,” said Amit, “but it will look like an unprovoked pre-emptive attack and we will have difficulties explaining the elevated number of civilian casualties on the ground. I doubt the PM will want to take such a political risk. I will repeat what I said yesterday at the meeting, we should try to take it out in the air, just after launching, so it looks like malfunction. We must record the launch to show the world that they launched the missile from Syrian territory and that it blew up on Syrian territory…”

  “Do we have the technical capacity of doing that?”

  “Yes, we have. There is a possibility of destroying it with the help of the Sayeret Maglan team.”

  “A chance? What do you mean, a chance? We need more than a chance. We need results! What will we look like if we launch a missile and we miss the target? We will look like we bombed the civilians on purpose. Same result as if we had bombed the missile on the ground, no?” exploded Tamir.

  “If we miss, we can always explain that we took a shot at the missile and we missed. We have to take our chances to destroy the missile in Syrian territory. If we are unsuccessful, the Barak-8 and David’s Sling will get the missile as it falls towards the ground…”

  “Spare me all the technicalities. I want to know our chances of hitting the missile as they launch it. And, is there a way of confirming their commitment to launch before they actually do?”

  After a silence, the IAIG Director answered in a cautious voice.

  “Tamir, I cannot confirm that we will succeed in hitting it, but I think it’s a chance worth taking”

  No wonder that Amit was trying to get into politics; his mind and his mouth worked like a shrewd politician.

  “… As for the detection, we have all the sensors of a UAV locked on the launch pad. We will have a few minutes of fore-warning by the Sayeret team when the missile takes its place outside of the basement and starts the pre-launch countdown. I think, all things considered, we will have 10 to 15 minutes of advance warning.”

  “If I understand well, what you are saying is that we have nothing to lose if we tried to get it right after its launching. Correct?”

  “Yes… Exactly…” Said General Amit.

  “What about the danger of our boys if we hit the missile in the air?”

  “We think they will be fine. If they launch the missile towards Israel, it will fly south, getting away from the team. By the time our interceptor hits the missile, it will probably be at an altitude of 800 to 1000 meters.”

  “This was the good news…” he continued. “The bad news is that we detected troops assembling in a military compound close to the industrial zone, apparently to relieve the Syrian soldiers in Al-Kisweh.”

  More players were entering the game. Maybe it was time to get out of it.

  “Tamir, there is Avraham Levi of the Shin Bet on the second line for you.” announced the voice of Clarit from the interphone.

  He took the line:

  “Yes Avraham,”

  “Tamir, yesterday I had told you that something was brewing in Gaza. Now we have more information confirming that there will be a massive launch of rockets into southern Israel. We don’t know yet the time, but better take precautions beforehand.”

  “Is that Abu Dawan playing tricks on us again?”

  “The PIJ is staying low, but lower than usual. So yes, it looks like his style of operations.”

  “Any chances of your boys taking them out?”

  “We don’t have the resources to do that. I have advised the PM and he will soon ask you about the measures you took. So better hurry.”

  “Thanks, Avraham. I will keep you informed.”

  After the phone call with the Director of Shin Bet, Tamir was thoughtful. During his different postings at the Mossad he had spent all possible efforts to eliminate the terrorist commander Abu Dawan, but he had failed. Abu Dawan was not his real name. He still remembered him from his childhood days, when he was called Latif Muallimi. He was the son of Tawfiq, one of the twins of Abu Ghosh. When the twins from Abu Ghosh met the twins of Anavim, it was either to play football or to celebrate Ramadan or Pessah together; it always ended in a fistfight. Tawfiq, who was a hothead, always picked on Tamir, who was an introverted child. Tamir’s twin brother Avi, who was also a hothead, would step in to protect his brother. Tawfiq and Avi were a suitable match for each other, and their pushing-around soon degenerated in a fistfight. The only ones that could separate them were Tawfiq’s mother Aisha and his father Mika. Tawfiq’s father had been killed while fighting the Israelis, Tawfiq had been hunted down by a Sayeret Maglan team, and now his son Latif, or Abu Dawan, was in the sight of Israeli guns. Yet, this intimate knowledge of the terrorist had not been enough to stop his exactions on the Israeli people.

  Tamir sighed and turned his attention to his to-do list. He had to brief the Chief of Staff first and get his consent to shoot the missile during the launch at Al-Kisweh; he needed to tell the Air Force to put on red alert the Iron Dome and place aircrafts on alert to bomb the rocket sites in Gaza; he had to call the President of the Southern Council to alert the civilian authorities in the south of Israel for impending rocket attacks from Gaza.

  When he completed the check-list in his mind, he called Clarit and gave her the list of persons to call.

  While waiting for the call to the Chief of Staff, he thought a missile attack from the north and rocket attacks from the south looked very much like a coordinated attack. But what was the purpose of it? And who was the mastermind to organize and coordinate such attacks?

  49-Sunday 10:00 am

  Al-Kisweh

  Zadok was observing the positions of the soldiers laying in ambush through the scope of his rifle. He noticed some movement by the ramp of the basement. Two guards came out from each side of the ramp, swinging and nervously aiming their guns at the heaps of rubble around them. Four othe
r militiamen came out of the ramp, crossed the road that passed in front of it, and took positions to cover the road. Zadok trained his scope to the Hezbollah positions and then on the Syrians. He watched them scramble for their weapons and crouch into shooting positions.

  From the second floor of the building, Tal had an unobstructed view of all the soldiers. The guards coming out of the warehouse had increased the tension.

  “HQ, this is Maglan one.”

  “Go ahead Maglan one.”

  “The guards from the basement are securing the perimeter now. They have not discovered the Hezbollah or Syrian soldiers yet, but if they do, the risk is high that a shoot-out starts here. I have seen some Syrian troops with RPG launchers. Do you have more information from the UAV?”

  “Wait a moment, Maglan One.”

  Tal trained his binoculars on the tall Syrian who appeared to be the commander. He obviously preferred to be on the ground with his men rather than being in the building safely behind them, as expected of a commanding officer. He was talking on his radio, probably asking for orders. The Hezbollah troops must have heard something because they were now looking behind them as a militiaman pointed towards the Syrian soldiers.

  “HQ, Hezbollah has found out about the group of soldiers that surround them, and they are debating among themselves. The guards from the basement still seem unaware of the presence of any soldiers.”

  Some Hezbollah militiamen turned their backs to the basement and faced the Syrian positions. They tried to hide from their line of shooting and cover their friends from enemy fire. They were trapped between enemy soldiers.

  If the Hezbollah started fighting the Syrians, they would probably let the team in the basement alone. Tal had an idea.

  “HQ, what if we start a fight between the enemy troops?”

  “Wait a moment, Maglan One.”

  The Hezbollah troops were frantically trying to take cover from the danger that had appeared at their back.

  “HQ, Duvdevan One. We have the Syrian troops in our sight. They are getting ready to fight.”

  “Maglan One, Duvdevan One, we are coming up with a plan. Wait a moment.”

  Tal was happy to hear from the Duvdevan team. He could see their position on his smartphone, but it was the first time he had heard their voice. He suddenly felt more secure. He trained his binoculars on the Hezbollah troops, and he saw they were frantically preparing to engage the surrounding soldiers.

  His ear bud vibrated, indicating an incoming communication.

  “Maglan One, Duvdevan One. Maglan, can you come up with a plan to start a gun battle between the surrounding troops? The idea is to keep the soldiers in the basement out of the battle.”

  Tal looked at Zadok and Doron. They both nodded as if to say, “good idea”.

  “HQ, Duvdevan, this is Maglan One. I propose Maglan shoot at Hezbollah as if it was the Syrians shooting at them and Duvdevan shoots at the Syrians, as if the Hezbollah was shooting at them. It will hopefully provoke them into fighting each other.”

  “This is HQ, wait a moment.”

  It was taking too long for Tal’s taste. The situation could explode any moment into an uncontrollable mess.

  “Maglan, Duvdevan, this is HQ,” buzzed his earbud. That had been quick!

  “Plan accepted. Proceed without delay.”

  Tal looked at Zadok who had his viewfinder already aimed at the Hezbollah militiamen. “Zadok, can you get the commander of the Hezbollah?”

  “Yes, I got him in sight. He is busy talking on the radio.”

  “OK, you take him down. Doron, you get another one who looks like an officer, the one laying by the radio. OK, let’s go.”

  Tal aimed his gun sight at a Hezbollah soldier holding a sniper rifle and slowly pulled the trigger.

  Three shots echoed, and three Hezbollah militiamen fell. At the same time he heard three more shots from the Duvdevan positions and saw the Syrian commander and two Syrian soldiers fall to the ground in a mist of blood.

  The reaction was immediate. All the troops started shooting at the same time in a deafening roar. He saw the guards at the entrance of the basement run inside and take cover. He hoped they would realize they were not being shot at and keep away from the fight.

  The Syrians and the Hezbollah had lost their commanders, but they were fighting for their lives now. Soon, on both sides, wounded soldiers lay by lifeless bodies on the ground.

  “Zadok, go to the west side of our building and shoot anyone you see moving at the building where the Syrians are hiding. They are on the second floor.” said Tal and turned to watch the battle.

  He watched a Hezbollah fighter shoot with his rifles above his head in the general direction of the Syrians, effectively suppressing the enemy, while some of their comrades tried to sneak into a better firing position. It was a hopeless situation. Next, he checked the PIJ militiamen at the ramp. They took cover at the tip of the ramp and looked around curiously to understand what was happening to them. Tal saw a Syrian soldier grab an RPG launcher and get ready to shoot toward the remaining Hezbollah fighters.

  “Doron, get the guy with the RPG, quick!”

  Doron adjusted his rifle and took his shot. The militiaman fell before being able to fire the RPG.

  “I can see the Syrians on the second floor now. There a four of them and they are hunting down the Hezbollah below them. What should I do?” asked the voice of Zadok from the other side of the building.

  “Take them out, Hezbollah lost the battle, anyway.” whispered Tal into his radio.

  50-Sunday 10:45 am

  Al-Kisweh

  The gunshots startled Ghassan. He looked at the entrance and saw two soldiers who were standing guard at the ramp run inside and take cover. Now four soldiers took positions at the entrance with their guns aimed outside, towards the deafening noise of the battle. The rest of the militiamen crouched by the entrance in three groups, ready to defend the basement. Abu Amr ran and peeked from the top of the ramp to try to identify the shooters. Soon, there was a close-range battle going on outside, but that the shots were not aimed at them. The PIJ fighters were surprised that they were not at the receiving end of the battle and were talking among themselves about the identity of the protagonists.

  Fuad and Ghassan laid on the floor behind the truck.

  They were helpless. With no weapons to defend themselves, they were at the mercy of whoever got control of the hangar. He looked at Fuad and saw fear in his eyes. He felt his heart would go out of his mouth. Was the launching compromised? Were they going to move the truck to another place? How would they drive away with the shooting right outside? Maybe this was the end? Trapped in a basement! What about his family? If something happened to him, would they release his family? He felt panic growing inside him.

  Fuad put his hand on his arm and looked into his eyes.

  “Maybe they came to save us?”

  Among all the questions that had risen to his mind, this one had not occurred. Yes, what if it was to liberate them?

  Hope filled him up. He got up, ran to the entrance of the basement, and kneeled behind Abu Amr. He looked outside and saw no movement. The gun battle was still raging. Abu Amr looked at him suspiciously and pointed his gun at him. “Go back to your truck!” he hissed. Ghassan wanted to say that this gun battle was not his making, but decided not to say anything. He retreated cautiously and when he rejoined Fuad, he asked:

  “Fuad, did you send a message to someone? Are they here for us?”

  Fuad looked surprised. “No, I have done nothing. I thought you must have called for help.” They looked at each other, and their shoulders sagged.

  Abu Amr sent a scout to find out what was happening. After he disappeared for a few minutes, the militiaman came back.

  “There seem to be two groups fighting each other, but I cannot see enough to identify them.”

  Abu Amr pulled his cell phone and dialed a number in Beirut. After the third ring, a female voice answered; he gave her a code and wai
ted. From Beirut they transferred his call to Cyprus, and from there it was switched to a number in Gaza.

  “It’s me. There is a battle raging here. I am not sure I can execute the order under these conditions.”

  “Who is attacking you?” said the displeased voice of Abu Dawan.

  “I don’t know. That’s the problem. Nobody is attacking us! Just outside the basement two groups are fighting each other.”

  “Maybe it has nothing to do with you. Just hold on to your positions. Keep low. We have just a few hours left. We are very close to hitting the enemy in his guts. Keep me informed of any changes in your situation and I will give you the launching instructions in the coming hours. I count on you to honor your country.”

  “Yes, Abu Dawan, I will keep you informed if there are any changes. It’s good to know the day of the attack has arrived and we are proud to be part of the victorious team.” the line went dead.

  Abu Amr ran to the truck and kneeled by Ghassan who was already laying on the floor. He had his gun in his hands and shoved it as a threat in front of the major.

  “Is this your making? Did you ask for help?”

  “No, I swear by Allah I didn’t talk to anybody!”

  Abu Amr was inclined to believe him because they had been closely guarded up to now and no attempt to raise the alarm had been seen. Furthermore, they were not being attacked directly. He looked at Ghassan and Fuad for a moment, called a militiaman, and told him to keep guard on the two men.

  Fuad and Ghassan exchanged a look, and at that moment Ghassan decided to share his plan with the sergeant.

  51- Sunday 11:15 am

  Knesset

  Jerusalem

  It was his lucky day! Just as he was afraid, they assigned Avitan to the main gates at the entrance of the courtyard of the Knesset with a lieutenant and a captain. There were 10 other soldiers in the squad, but he had the feeling that he was the one doing all the work here. When a car arrived, all the passengers had to disembark. While he led Dolly around the car to sniff for explosives, another soldier checked its underside with a camera set on a pole. The passengers had to go through a metal detector and show an ID card that was checked against a guest list established by the Security Committee. At the same moment, the lieutenant checked if the vehicle was on the list of cars with a place reserved in the underground parking. If the car was not on the list, he directed them to the outdoor parking lot on the west side of the Knesset building. From there, it was a brief walk to arrive at a little bridge that linked the parking lot to the courtyard. At the lobby of the building, they had to go again through a security check, and ushers took them to their places for the ceremony. They escorted the newly elected members of the Knesset to the plenary hall on the ground floor, while the guests were led to the galleries and balconies on the top floor.