The Masada Faktor (15 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

I
think it was around July 20. I was in some sort of altered state. The days disappeared into each other. I didn’t know what date it was and Lior was concerned about me.

She didn’t want to talk about Menashe so we spent hours and hours talking about our childhoods. Lior’s mom was also a Holocaust survivor and was still alive, living in America. She missed her very much and wanted to go back to the States to visit her.

We stayed in, mostly due to the heat, with both the news on TV and the air conditioner continually blasting. Menashe came over a few times a week to see Lior and when he did I’d walk the neighborhood and try to give them some privacy.

Periodically there were ceasefires and that gave us brief reprieves, although Hamas would always break them. There were more tunnels, more deaths on both sides. The world opinion was against Israel as Hamas was using their dead for propaganda purposes.

The IDF set up a hospital at the Erez Border Crossing to treat the injured Palestinians from Gaza. Something like 83,000 Gazans had sought shelter in United Nation facilities. The count of rockets fired at Israel was over 2,000 since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge.

At the juncture when the war had been going for three weeks, Israel had struck 2,800 targets in Gaza. Other countries were weighing in, mostly on the side of Gaza. United Arab Emirates sent $41 million in aid to Gazans. The United States announced they would send $47 million to them.

Time marched on. A new tunnel was discovered that was filled with IDF uniforms, maps, and weapons. More of our soldiers were killed; each funeral was an ordeal. One hundred fifty terrorists were surrounded near Khan Younis and Rafiah and surrendered. Gazan schools sheltering militants were hit and civilians were killed.

Every day, when we thought things couldn’t get worse, they did. Hamas was calling for a Third Intifada and a Day of Rage. Riots were expected in Jerusalem. Up to 4,000 police were assigned to be stationed in and around Jerusalem. The death toll in Gaza was rising.

Israel offered blood, humanitarian aid, and medical supplies to Gaza, but they refused it all. It was the end of July and Israel was continuing to destroy tunnels between Gaza and Israel. Egypt decided to do the same. They destroyed thirteen tunnels which cut Gaza off from Egypt.

Hamas needed the Rafah border with Egypt opened to transfer goods, money, and weapons into Gaza. If they couldn’t get it open, their survival was in jeopardy. The United Nations seemed to be running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to talk the parties into a truce.

Gaza was demanding an airport, among other things. We were afraid that an airport in Gaza would bring in more weapons from Iran and even get fighter jets to them.

Israel wanted the tunnels completely destroyed. Was this our modern day Masada? I had not heard anyone mentioning a comparison. The last thing I wanted was to be accused of trying to capitalize on this war in any way, so I kept my mouth shut about Mother’s mystery.

But then Arthur phoned to tell me something important. “The
Shin Bet
said that the IDF had prevented a cataclysmic event. The
Shin Bet
had evidence which had been brought forward that there was a planned September attack to take place during
Rosh Hashanah,
the New Year high holidays.”

Arthur continued, “There were to be thousands of terrorists surreptitiously sneaking into Israel through dozens of tunnels from beneath Gaza and all attacking at the same time. They would have been in IDF uniforms and surged like rats all over Israel to kidnap and murder as many Israelis as possible. I don’t think that the
Shin Bet
has disclosed the exact extent of Hamas’ plan.”

With a sharp intake of breath, I said. “Arthur? Is it possible? That the Gaza War is The Masada Faktor?”

If a shrug had a sound, it would have been Arthur’s voice saying, “They are investigating what they have on The Masada Faktor.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

W
ith Saul and his alter ego Absalom out of the picture and Tajir in custody, I was at loose ends as to what to do next. Arthur and I agreed that the Israel Defense Force,
Shin Bet
, and other Israeli government agencies were in charge and we trusted that they knew what they were doing. Arthur had discussed The Masada Faktor at length with them, and I did feel some relief.

I supposed that Tajir must have been broken down by now, otherwise the
Shin Bet
would have contacted me. If they believed they have gotten most of the intelligence out of Tajir that would be enough. Of course I was guessing.

A few days later Dalia phoned. “Arthur and I have a secret that I must tell you and you must swear to uphold it and not tell anyone. Arthur says it is time to tell you that both of us have been in the
Sherut Habitachon Haklali
or
Shabak
, the internal counterespionage and counterintelligence agency known as the
Shin Bet
for many years. We are retired now but we still do consulting for the agency.”

I wasn’t shocked that Arthur was in
Shin Bet
but stunned that Dalia was. But then it made sense, with her moxie that she would be, too. So, I deduced I had been debriefed by the
Shin Bet
after all.

“Dalia, I am surprised. It is not that I didn’t think you were brave enough to be the
Shin Bet
, just that I thought you were busy raising children all these years.” I didn’t want to sound condescending in any way to her.

Dalia went on “Our motto is
Defends and Shall Not Be Seen.
We want you to know we trust you. We are only concerned with your safety and it had been agreed upon by our superiors that at this point you, Natasha, are the only person in danger from what is left of the people from The Masada Faktor.”

And that only pointed to one person: Millie Stone. Great, I thought, this is just what I didn’t need to hear.

“The problem,” Dalia added, “is that they don’t have the resources at this time to protect you. I suggest you come to stay with us in Jerusalem.”

I felt incredibly weary at that point. “No, Dalia, I just can’t face moving again. I have moved four times in less than six months. I will stay put and defend myself. Can I borrow a gun and will you show me how to use it?”

Dalia agreed. “We will give you a Glock 19 and spend some time with you at a shooting range. But you must promise us not to carry the gun we are giving you while traveling. Just keep it in the house. And remember, our invitation stands for as long as you need protection.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

D
uring the fourth week of the war France sent eight million Euros to Gaza in aid. Hamas leaders were being killed and the fighting had intensified. There were massive blackouts in Gaza as fuel tanks outside the Gaza power plant were struck. Hamas fighters were still coming out of tunnels with huge amounts of explosives and weapons.

More Gazan schools and hospitals supposedly used for shelters were found to be housing rockets and terrorists. Egypt was still trying to broker a peace deal, but the Palestinian factions were arguing about who had been officially invited.

On the last day of July an additional 18,000 reserve IDF were called up bringing the total to 84,000. There seemed to be no end in sight. The Gaza death toll was 1,346. Fifty-six IDF personnel and three Israelis were dead.

The Israel haters could not be more incensed about the amount of Gazan dead. Of course, all over the world they were complaining about disproportionate force. It was ugly but Hamas wouldn’t stop despite their losses. American weapons stored in Israel for the United States were transferred for Israel’s use.

It was August 1 and I was waiting at the Central Bus Station in Hadera. The day before a seventy-two hour humanitarian ceasefire had begun at 8:00 AM. Five minutes before the ceasefire was to start Hamas sent a barrage of rockets flying into Israel, just for good measure. This ceasefire was to last for seventy-two hours.

I felt like I had to get out of Hadera for the day. It was taking entirely too long for the #921 bus to arrive. It was 8:18 AM and I was already dripping with sweat. My lovely new dress purchased on my last trip to Jerusalem was starting to feel limp. Heavy gray clouds hung in the morning sky. The air was still and humid. It had been quiet since yesterday so I thought a day trip was in order.

Others also looked impatient waiting for the #921 bus. We all seemed to be eyeing each other warily, as if thinking about who might be the one to break the ceasefire.

Who is an Arab and who is a Jew? What about the unarmed IDF soldiers? Could they be a target here? Just yesterday in Jerusalem a motorcyclist with an automatic weapon shot an unarmed soldier who was waiting for a bus, and the shooter had gotten away.

I saw a soldier hugging his father in what looked like an emotional goodbye. I asked God to protect him.

Finally, the bus arrived and we boarded and took our seats. The thought of seeing Haifa again made me anxious since the last time I was there, two months ago, I had to run for my life. These thoughts swirled around inside my brain as the #921 drove out of Hadera and up Highway 4. I would not go into Haifa, only switch buses there to get to Safed.

The day was quiet, no one approached me, and I didn’t see anything to be alarmed about, although I was nervous. I talked myself into enjoying the day.

The only altercation that I had in Safed was in the synagogue in the town square. I had entered ‘sleeveless,’ and a man ran up to me with a shawl so that I could cover up and be decent. I wanted to say something nasty to him but since I was a guest in their synagogue, I didn’t.

I got back late and then heard from Lior what had happened in the news. An hour after I had left for Safed, a suicide bomber and several Hamas gunmen had come out of a tunnel in Rafah and attacked the elite Givati Brigade, killing two Israeli soldiers and capturing one, which set off a series of events that killed a lot of Gazans. Rockets hadn’t stopped flying into Israel and the ceasefire ended.

A few days later, the Prime Minister announced no more ceasefires until all the tunnels were destroyed. I was having a hard time keeping up with the news as to what was happening in Gaza. I was staying up late and sleeping late in the morning.

Going out for groceries only when necessary and getting back as soon as possible was my mode of operation. One day I waited too long to go for supplies and got overheated and disoriented. I became lost only a few blocks from the house. I phoned Lior but I couldn’t describe where I was. When I finally found the grocery, I stayed inside in the air conditioning for a long time.

On August 4 we had a seven hour humanitarian ceasefire and during that time there was an incident in Jerusalem where an Arab drove an industrial tractor digger into a pedestrian, bus, and car. Then the Arab was killed by police.

We wondered when those types of attacks were going to start in the cities. Israel had said it would not negotiate while under fire but then changed its mind and another ceasefire was again tried.