The Critical Offer

by Yitzhak Nir

  Then he rose from his chair, turned to Gershon, joined his palms together over his heart in the Buddhist prayer posture and addressed him in a loud, steady voice, “And, Mister Stark, we want you to stand at the head of this huge project on behalf of the State of Israel!”

  …What is he plotting, this Chinese guy? ...But in a steady voice and with total self-control, he replied: “But why me, of all people? I have no special abilities; I’m not a minister or a politician. I can’t even fly a plane anymore.”

  “Mister Stark, I, together with my daughter, Lili, and Professor Safran, think you have everything that is necessary. Don’t be so modest. You aren’t yet big enough to make yourself so small!” He stood before him seriously, joining his thumb and index finger to demonstrate ‘so small’ in his words.

  The bastard… He knows much more than he’s ready to admit…

  “Wow, professor, I’m getting a bit tired. Maybe we should drink some more coffee, Lili?” He smiled at her, avoiding a reply and practicing her new nickname.

  “Right away! Sorry, I forgot. It was getting so interesting here!” Her eyes were shining at him like black, polished gems as she rose to return to the kitchen.

  A solitary wind instrument floated above the momentary stillness that Beethoven had imposed on the orchestra and the three listeners on the balcony, who were absent-mindedly listening to his Fifth. …Is it an oboe? An English horn? Or maybe it’s a clarinet? ...He couldn’t identify it, and already regretted that he hadn’t paid closer attention during the music lessons ages ago at Kibbutz Giv’on, with the music teacher, Baruch’chik Telem, who would close his eyes in ecstasy, convinced that everyone else was floating together with him on a cloud as he played the Fifth for them on old, scratched vinyl records. …What a shame I can’t identify that instrument… His back pain suddenly, unintentionally dissolved and his toes awakened from their slumber.

  Li-Lan returned with coffee, a bottle of whisky and three glasses.

  “Professor, thank you for the honor, but there isn’t a chance,” he returned to reality, sounding relaxed and practical. “Explain the rest to me quickly please. I must leave soon. When do you fly to Beijing?”

  “Tomorrow evening: Air China 5092, Boeing triple-seven, first-class to Beijing.”

  ...I wish it were me… “And when will you come back?”

  “Lili will return in two weeks and I will continue home from there. We are saying goodbye this evening, Mister Stark.”

  They clicked glasses. Gershon filled his glass half-full with whisky:

  ...It helped me then in the hospital and it will help me tonight, as well. In any case, nobody will find out and Shauli is driving home…

  On the balcony the air was cooling down and his back started bothering him again. …Okay, apparently they know exactly who I am. But as long as they continue playing the game, so will I… “Right, what’s all this about, professor. I’m ready to listen!” he resumed in an official-sounding voice combined with a note of urgency, as if he were back in his office.

  “With pleasure, Jerry. May I call by you that name?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well then, generally speaking, we are offering you, the Israeli citizens, and also to the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, to lease and develop your entire country in return for freezing the conflict.” Then he raised his voice: “A general Hudna, truce – for the next ninety-nine years!” He got up and stood facing the sea in a rhetorical stance.

  “Consider the Hong Kong model, Jeremiah!” He turned to him, “and we suggest to you and the Palestinians a win-win situation that will resolve the stalemate that you created when you implemented the Zionist dream!” He cleared his throat, moistened it with a sip of whisky and continued, “The Chinese interest that we are helping to realize is to create a broad, firm base that will support the grand Chinese plan, namely, The New Silk Road or BRI resting on a chain of ports to be leased for extended periods, namely The String of Pearls routes.” I won’t enlarge on it now because my Lili has already explained it to you during your stroll by the sea… He smiled and Gershon thought he saw a shadow of a wink in his direction.

  Joe paused as though estimating the influence of his words on his interlocutor; then he continued loudly like a college lecturer: “And you in Israel must change the disastrous direction in which you are going with eyes wide shut! Do you understand, Mister Stark?”

  Gershon tried to play for time: “Excuse me, professor, what has Hong Kong got to do with it?”

  “Well, it’s a long story, but I’ll refresh your memory: Britain leased Hong Kong from China for a hundred years, investing funds and constructing a splendid island state with an economy and administration to be proud of. All this was in order for Hong Kong to be used by the British Empire as its base in the China Sea. After the hundred years were up, it underwent a smooth transition back to China as the Pearl of the East. Both China and Great Britain received rich rewards from this agreement. Imagine renting an apartment, renovating it and returning it to its owners in immeasurably better condition, while the tenant is both investor and renovator.”

  “I understand. It’s common knowledge, but the idea is still not clear to me, professor. Why are you suddenly being so good to us?” He was now favorably disposed towards the Chinese man and was becoming interested in his amazing suggestion. …Maybe a new idea has finally turned up? Maybe this is the win-win situation, the tie-breaker that is so sorely lacking from the Zionist vision?...

  “Because, Mister Stark, we need you as our base in the Eastern Mediterranean. We need you as a hub for our shipping, flight and train systems, as Lili and I have already explained! It’s true that we helped reconstruct Syria after their civil war, but you and the surrounding Palestinians are the logistic base we are really aiming at.”

  Scavengers! Chinese money rehabilitating a devastated Syria, a Marshall Plan for the needy… But he continued raising difficulties:

  “And what will you give us in exchange?” he asked in a voice devoid of cynicism.

  “Halting the conflict and abandoning it for ninety-nine years, Hudna, as you call it here. That will enable you to accelerate economic development, both you and the Palestinians. In addition, for you, the Jews, we will establish an additional state! Thus you will be freed from allocating enormous resources to your endless wars and will finally be financially capable of coping with your real problems: inadequate housing, inequality, poverty, lack of education, unequal carrying of the economic and security burden… Oh, you know exactly what I mean, Jerry. And apart from that, your territory is too limited! Overpopulation will not permit you to survive to the next generations. That’s where we enter the picture!”

  “Sorry. sir, but If my memory serves me, at the beginning of World War II, you Chinese had already planned to resettle Jews in southwestern China, and several years ago they hosted a hallucinatory peace activists conference, on that very issue. So are you now trying to recycle old abortive ideas?”

  “We’re recycling nothing, Jerry. We’re only innovating and offering!”

  “Well, we’ll see. I’m listening. Please continue. But what is the place of the Palestinians in this mad megalomaniac dream of yours?”

  “That’s easy, sir. Everything will be cleared up very soon. The Palestinians will have too much to lose after the program goes into effect, as it includes realizing most of their national aspirations without relinquishing a single one of them!” Joe smiled like the victor in a difficult struggle against a hostile adversary that he has almost won over. “You are in need of a new vision, Jeremiah, and we are offering it to you!”

  “Wow! Have you fallen on your heads over there in Beijing and at your Sepcom Corporation?” …What about the Americans? And what about Zionism and Jerusalem? But his mind was already rushing forward, transmitting increased excitement to his body.

  “Mister Stark, in the year 1902, when Herzl publi
shed his Altneuland, your forefathers in Eastern Europe thought he had fallen on his head, In 1917, when Chaim Weizmann pushed for the Balfour Declaration, most Jews thought that he, too, had fallen on his head and in 1948, most of the Jews in Israel and the world thought Ben-Gurion had fallen on his head as well, when he declared Israel’s independence. And if I may quote Ben-Gurion.: ‘We are not proposing what the Jews want; we are proposing what the Jews need!’” he declared loudly and added:

  “The world has changed, Jeremiah. They no longer hold chariot races in the Coliseum. Today they fly to Mars and are aware that in the universe there are hundreds of billions more galaxies than the number they estimated at the time of Herzl, or even of Ben-Gurion. Your problems needn’t be solved only here in Israel!” He emptied what was left in his whisky glass in one gulp, got up and with his back to Gershon, fixed his gaze on the clouds covering the dark sky.

  “I suggest we continue, Mister Stark. You will immediately understand everything, only please keep an open mind.”

  “Okay, professor. My time is short, but let’s continue. It’s just that the business of harvesting organs for transplant for wealthy foreign citizens, imprisonment and persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and concentration camps for the Uyghur Muslim minority in West China, are a gigantic stumbling block!” He paused rhetorically, “and of course the persecution in Tibet and other human rights problems in China.” He also rose and leaned against the railing, facing Polaris and continued, “No serious person will discuss such a huge initiative with you if you don’t create a situation that the Americans, the entire world and Israel too will be able to live with. America will never relinquish Israel as a protectorate state in favor of China.”

  “Mister Jeremiah Stark, you are bursting through an open door. As a good-will gesture, the Chinese government is prepared to immediately release all Falun Gong practitioners and cancel the death sentence throughout the country.”

  “And what about the persecution in Tibet and of the Uyghur minority?”

  “That will take time, but it will be taken care of. China is governed by very clever people and despite the different tempo there, all those things will be dealt with. Even China will be forced to accept Western standards in the end,” he added, his voice losing some of its self-assurance.

  “Is it really that important to you? And where will you obtain organs for transplant?”

  Li-Lan, who had been sitting quietly until then, burst in, “I have prepared a memo for our foreign minister regarding a transplant system based on Adi cards, like you have here. I think it’s a brilliant solution! In traffic accidents and work-related accidents, tens of thousands of Chinese are killed each year. Even if only young people donate their organs, we will have all we need, and pardon the expression.” She smiled apologetically. “My left eye was saved thanks to your system…” She pointed smilingly at her eye.

  “Ahem,” Gershon commented, “it’s about time… if you’ll allow me a small critical comment about China.” But he went on to ask, “And the persecution against Tibetans? Will you grant them autonomy?”

  “If that’s the last bridge we need to cross, we’ll do it. Lili! Please bring me the computer. I want to show our visitor the presentation we prepared. And also a large, strong Nespresso coffee, if you don’t mind! Jeremiah, do you prefer holograms or an old-fashioned projection on the wall?”

  “Projection, please. I’m old school…” Gershon replied, smiling modestly.

  “Me too. I still like the touch of the old typewriter keys. A keyboard is the closest thing to that…” And as he turned on the silver Mac with the aid of his voice alone, he again assumed the stance of a famous lecturer preparing to defend his thesis and win over a skeptical audience.

  And that evening his audience was limited to Li-Lan, Gershon and the black dragon, which would soon have to leave due to its rapidly depleting batteries. The Mac obeyed its master’s command and the presentation appeared on the balcony wall, while the voice of old “Siri” dubbed the text:

  “The Chinese Offer”: Freezing the Conflict. Leasing the Israeli-Palestinian area - for 99 years.

  ***

  The offer is modular: It is based on the common interests of all parties. Every phase is independent.

  Funding: International bonds of the 300 largest banks in the world.

  Securities: The balances of American and other countries bonds, deposited in Chinese banks.

  Potential partners: The support of America, Russia, the Arab world and the entire international community is required.

  The offer will solve problems of: security, stability, identity, economy and overpopulation for both Jews and Arabs, and will neutralize the conflict for an extended period of time.

  The Iranian threat to Israel will be neutralized due to Chinese-Iranian economic and diplomatic relationship.

  Joe Yang paused the presentation. “Do you grasp the outside-the-box thinking and potential of this program, despite the presentation’s limited explanations? Mr. Jeremiah, I’m not the problem. First explain to me what you intend to do here in Israel. Afterwards we’ll fly on the wings of imagination to the Tibetan Plateau.”

  “Do the Russians and Americans agree to this scenario?”

  “They will agree. And you people will be forced to convince them, after you convince yourselves.” He smiled. “The Russians will be forced to divide the Middle East with us, and stop their expansion southwards. We are offering a kind of new world order for the mutual benefit of all parties. But first of all, you must want it, Mister Stark! And apart from that, Israel plays an extremely and important strategic role for us, in our relations with America and Europe. We will be the major benefactors from this. It is a win-win situation, as Lili must have already explained to you. All the information is on the small disc-on-key in your possession. I will now continue with the presentation and explain its fundamentals. As you have already understood, sir, the program is modular. The application of each section is not contingent on the others.”

  “Understood. Then let’s continue, please, Mister Yang. It’s getting late. Where will you start?”

  “As usual, with the most painful and explosive aspect: from the sense of conquest and an unbearable humanitarian crisis...” He paused for a moment and burst a question, “You were an explosives expert, weren’t you? So tell me, what activates bombs, eh, Mr. Stark? That’s right. A fuse!” he answered for himself.

  “What is the fuse in this situation, sir?” Gershon asked, pretending he didn’t know.

  “Mister Stark,” Joe restarted the presentation and like someone solving a mathematical riddle added, “We’ll begin from the ticking-bomb, from Gaza, of course!”

  “So, have you abandoned President Xi Jinping’s 2017 suggestion, simply stated, ‘Return to the ‘67 borders?’”

  “Those ideas have not been applicable for a long time. No one can really believe in them anymore. What I am about to show you is the real thing. Here it comes!”

  Gaza First:

  Adding Territory: A territory in northern Sinai including the Egyptian economic waters will be leased from Egypt, and added to Gaza. Thus, new opportunities will be created for the present and future population of the Gaza strip.

  “Dubai of the Mediterranean”: A global Arab financial center. Three large artificial islands + international airport + deep-water port.

  A deep-water shipping canal: from Gaza to Eilat - as a parallel substitute to the Suez-Canal.

  Residency: Massive high-rise building. Trade. Industry. Gas fields. Tourism. Fast trains from Egypt via Israel to Jordan and to the east.

  Royalties: Egypt will benefit from royalties from leasing the land to the benefit of the rapid and threatening growth of its poor population.

  “Well, at least that’s clear. It’s a great idea to include Egypt. I
’m already riding on a speedboat to place my bets at the casino on the island opposite El-Arish…” Gershon chuckled, but privately he acknowledged that this was indeed a solution for Gaza. “And what about Judea and Samaria? What will happen to the settlements?” he asked, raising an additional difficulty.

  “Are you growing impatient or am I boring and tiring you?” Joe teased him and resumed the presentation, calling, “Judea and Samaria!” The screen on the wall shifted.

  Judea and Samaria:

  “Settlement-blocks” west of the security fence will not be included in the leasing and will remain under Israeli control.

  Existing settlements east of the security fence will be able to choose between reimbursement and evacuation or remaining under Palestinian-Chinese administration.

  New settlements east of the security fence will be built only according to international standards of a willing seller to a willing buyer.

  Massive economy development.

  Urbanizing: Four new cities similar to Rawabi City.

  Train and road system: Underground and surface high-speed train and road systems, through the West Bank to the Middle East.

  “Very nice, professor, and also quite logical. But what are you planning for Israel itself?”

  “Please watch; it’s coming now.” And he called, “Israel!”

  Israel:

  Leasing will include governmental property, natural resources and economic waters.

  Massive Chinese investment and development.

  The Iranian threat will be neutralized. China and Iran have an extensive economic partnership, which prohibits posing a threat to China’s allies.