Yehoshua guided Emma and Eitan into the same Foreign Ministry boardroom. There was a plate of pastries on the table that Yehoshua thought looked suspiciously like the same plate of pastries that had been offered weeks earlier. It seemed as nobody was in the mood to eat, but Emma did reach for a bottle of water from the supply that sat next to the pastries. As she twisted off the cap, everyone’s attention was directed to the doorway. It seemed a bit of commotion was fomenting in the hallway. Three security personnel soon entered the room. One was dressed in army fatigues and two were in black suits.
Eitan gasped as he recognized Israel’s foreign minister, Gabi Navon, enter the room. While many Americans might not have recognized the minister, Eitan followed Israeli politics as closely as any Israeli. Minister Navon greeted them and shook Yehoshua’s hand as if he they were very close acquaintances. He greeted the minister and wished him a good morning. Then the tall, handsome former television host-turned-politician approached the Grohs and welcomed them back to Israel.
Emma was surprised at how much older and greyer Navon was compared to how he looked on television. Clearly, the job had taken a toll on his appearance. Nevertheless, as any of the women working in the Foreign Ministry could attest, neither his attractiveness nor his charm had diminished. “Please, come and sit, Rabbi and Mrs. Groh,” he said. “The State of Israel owes you a great debt of gratitude, and we owe you a fair explanation as well.”
The group moved to the long rectangular conference table where Emma and Eitan sat alongside Yehoshua. Navon sat opposite them, flanked by his military attaché. He opened the conversation by thanking Eitan once again for all that he had done. He also offered his condolences to everyone on the loss of Noam. Yehoshua and Eitan nodded in appreciation and thanked the foreign minister for his kind words.
“This has been quite an ordeal for you, I am sure, but I hope you know what you have accomplished. By helping us bring the Ukrainian Jews home to Israel, you have done a mitzvah that will be remembered for generations,” the minister offered in his trademark comforting tone. Years of television and politics had made him a master at calming his listeners and making them feel as if he were their old friend. He was a politician through and through, and when he spoke from the heart, his listeners felt that they had known him all their lives. Navon had heard from Yehoshua about the Grohs’ deep commitment to Zionism and the State of Israel. He wondered if perhaps they would one day consider making defense of the Jewish homeland their prime occupations. The minister spoke for a few more minutes about what it meant for a Jew to sacrifice something of his or her being for the State of Israel. There was no higher honor, he explained, before promising, “Your sacrifice will not be forgotten by the State of Israel or the Jewish people.”
Foreign Minister Navon then turned his attention to the previous night’s developments. “First, let me tell you that you can breathe easy now. We believe that the threats against you have all been neutralized.” Emma and Eitan looked at each other in surprise, and then both turned back to the minister.
Minister Navon continued, “I know that you have spent much time in Israel, so I am sure you are familiar with Bat Yam,” he said. Emma and Eitan nodded, and he continued. “In Bat Yam there is an area not far from the beach where many of the Ukrainian families were offered apartments. One of the local pub owners seized on the Ukrainian love of football and alcohol. He had the great idea that his bar could become their local hangout. He has been advertising all over town in Ukrainian, offering our new immigrants food and drink discounts, and a warm environment to enjoy football. And he started doing very well. The Ukrainians in the area liked him and gravitated to his pub in the evenings. They came especially when there was a big football match being played. Last night, during a big game, a Palestinian terrorist attacked the pub just as the game was beginning. He killed eight people and wounded dozens more, some who may still succumb to their injuries. He was killed on the scene, and we are still investigating who he was and where he came from. But we do know that he was not tied to the Ukrainian government and was not acting on its behalf.”
“A Palestinian?” Eitan asked in amazement. He was expecting Minister Navon to tell him that Ukrainian agents looking to kill he and his wife were responsible for this tragedy.
“Yes, the Palestinians are not huge fans of aliyah, and when the Ukrainians came in large numbers, they were furious. They view such events as the continuation of European Jews coming to the Middle East to steal their land. Trust me, I have been listening to vicious harangues from their leaders and imams for weeks.”
Emma and Eitan nodded, still hoping to hear something that pertained more directly to their own situation. And then the foreign minister got to it.
“We discovered something very unusual at the scene. Two of the terrorist’s victims were heavily armed. We found submachine guns and grenades in their unopened backpacks next to where their bodies fell. From a closed-circuit television camera across the street, we were able to see that these two men were sitting at the table where we found the weapons before the shooting erupted. We were able to determine from the camera footage that these men arrived by car not long before the game started. Using our advanced technology, we tracked the car that brought them to the pub back to the place where the car originally picked them up. This led us to an apartment building in the Old North District of Tel Aviv. Late last night, a team of investigators found the apartment where these two individuals had been hiding. We found sophisticated surveillance equipment, computer stations equipped with advanced encryption capabilities, and a series of photographs on the wall.”
Minister Navon bent down and removed a file from the brown leather briefcase resting by his feet. He placed it on the table and removed a series of photographs. As he spread out the photos, Emma gasped when she saw the red “X” drawn through the photo of Noam. The photos of Eitan, Eli, and Yehoshua were untouched. “Nobody will be drawing on these photos,” Navon added.
Minister Navon assured Eitan and Emma that the agents inserted into Israel illegally by the Ukrainians were now dead. He then added, “We will be lodging a formal complaint at the United Nations immediately, and I expect that the UN will begin official investigations into the matter forthwith, this time with the support of the United States and other Western European countries. The Ukrainians will see that the world will not stand by and allow their thirst for Jewish blood to stand. We are certain we won’t be hearing from them anymore on this matter.”
Eitan and Emma clutched each other’s hands and wept as Navon added, “It’s over. You are safe.”
Eitan thanked the foreign minister, who reached his arm across the table to shake Eitan’s hand. “Oh, there is one more thing I forgot to add. The prime minister asked me to tell you that he spoke this morning with a man named Stuart Beiner, and he thanked him for allowing his rabbi to help the State of Israel with a special project.”
“The prime minister spoke with the president of my synagogue?” Eitan asked in disbelief.
“Yes, you may be the first American rabbi to get an excused absence from work from the prime minister of Israel. Apparently, your president is very proud of you, although I suspect he will have a few questions for you when you get back.” The minister smiled and then bid the Grohs and Yehoshua goodbye as he exited the room with his security entourage.
When they were gone, Emma finally broke down as a mix of emotions came flooding over her. Eitan embraced her while whispering in her ear, “It is over, we are safe. It is over.”