Fuse of Armageddon (24 page)

”The hidden X factor.”

“Right or wrong, plenty of stuff has been written blaming a Jewish lobby for influencing the White House, and there’s hardly any public discussion about a far larger constituency—Christian Zionists. Think about the polarization of U.S. politics. Red states and blue states; secular liberals versus conservatives who are largely Christian with a very fundamental, literal approach to reading the Bible. Jonathan Silver is right at the head of the pack. I doubt many politicians care personally about the theology, but they listen to voters. A Republican president will be very aware of a constituency of seventy million right-wing Christians who believe Israel has a divine right to the land. Even a Democrat like Clinton couldn’t escape the pressure.”

“Clinton?”

“In 1998,” Quinn said, “evangelical leaders threatened to mobilize thousands of pastors if President Clinton continued to pressure Israel into peace efforts. Clinton backed down. That’s when I first decided I needed to know as much as possible about this theology, long before I had reasons to reflect on my personal faith. By backing away from a two-state solution, Clinton essentially did nothing to stop both sides fighting for a one-state solution.”

“But to say that evangelicals are partially responsible for terrorism attacks . . . ?”

Quinn gave her a tight grin. “Keep in mind, that accusation comes from a terrorist’s Web site.”

“You’re saying I should discount it.”

“I’m saying, time and again you’ll read of angry young Muslim men all across the Arab world who cite that their main reason for hatred of the U.S. is American support for Israel, beginning a half century ago, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forcibly removed from this land. They believe Israel would not exist in the middle of the Arab world without help from the world’s superpower. For them, Jewish occupation of land that once belonged to Palestinians is a continued reminder to a very proud people that the West has defeated them and humiliated them. To the Muslims, this perception is their truth, and men like Jonathan Silver don’t help when they declare God is punishing an Israeli prime minister with health problems for trying to divide the land. You and I may understand Jonathan Silver doesn’t represent all Christians or all Americans, but that’s not so easy for Arabs to understand.”

“If the Israelis had a divine right to the land, then what?”

“Is that argument relevant to what the angry young Arabs think?”

“No,” Kate said, “but it obviously is to the seventy million Americans who are very pro-Israel because of this theology.”

“Fair enough,” Quinn said. “Just for the record then, evangelicals disagree markedly among themselves on Israel’s divine right to the land. During His time on earth, Christ refused to help the Jews of His day overthrow the Romans. His stated mission was to establish a heavenly kingdom, not an earthly one. Furthermore, the apostle Paul wrote that the true Israel includes all of those with faith in the divine Christ—Jews or non-Jews. In short, according to many Christians, God is neither a racist nor a land broker.”

“You sound anti-Jewish,” Kate said. “Pro-Palestinian.”

“That’s the first accusation someone like Jonathan Silver would throw at anyone who argues with him, which is not only a successful bully distraction from the examination of his theology but highly ironic. Evangelicals like Jonathan Silver have raised literally millions and millions of dollars to help gather the Jews of the world in a small geographic location, expecting fulfilled prophecies will shortly lead to the bloodbath of Armageddon, where two-thirds of these Jews will be slaughtered. Jonathan Silver says God gives Christians all of eternal paradise but promises Jews only a slice of land beside the Mediterranean. You tell me who is anti-Semitic.”

“You’ve ducked my question about your personal feelings toward Jews. Or Palestinians.”

“My wife was Jewish, and my daughter because of it,” Quinn said quietly. “I love this land and this people. I’m not pro-Jew or pro-Palestine. I’m pro-people and pro-peace. And pro-children.”

Kate cocked her head slightly, listening with intensity.

“In the Gaza Strip, 13 percent of Palestinian children under age five have severe malnutrition,” Quinn said. “This where half the population is under age eighteen and over two-thirds of Palestinians live on two dollars a day. That puts conditions on par with Somalia. Nothing is going to change for these children until there is peace.”

“Point taken,” Kate said, just as quietly.

“In terms of American policy, I don’t think crucial geopolitical decisions should be affected by a popular theology that is rarely examined for its validity.” Quinn was talking with some heat now. “The past can’t be changed, and both sides can argue all they want whether Israel has a right to exist. What matters is that regardless of the events over a half century ago that started the division, now the majority of the people in this land—Palestinians and Jews—simply want to coexist in peace. Israel must fight the way it has to protect its people and, I think, has practiced remarkable restraint in some ways, given its military advantage in this conflict. For the Jews, it’s not an ideological battle but one of necessity. Theology? That’s a battle between some Christians and some Muslims—extremists on both sides. Radical Islam is extremely anti-Semitic in nature.”

“How generous,” Kate said sarcastically, “suggesting that perhaps Palestinians bear some guilt here. I haven’t read reports about Jews or Christians strapping on bombs and walking into crowded markets.”

Quinn put up a hand. “The real horror to me is that it’s not about ideology for the majority of Palestinians either. They’re mothers and fathers who just want a place to raise their children. They’re helpless against the radical Muslim ideology that keeps the conflict going. It’s no accident that terrorists are young, single males who have nothing more important in their lives than hatred-centered theology based on a misinterpretation of the Koran. Perhaps there is a case to be made, then, that Jonathan Silver’s Rapture ideology is like throwing gas on the fire started by Muslim extremists. If so, it’s doubly important for this theology to be examined, especially if it has the blind support of seventy million or more Americans.”

Quinn closed his eyes for a few moments, then looked directly at Kate. “Keep in mind that I have a bias too. I’m not sitting in a comfortable pew somewhere on the other side of the Atlantic putting money in a collection plate for Israel. I’m among those who have lost family to the bombings. Over there, it’s an abstraction. Here . . .”

He paced away, then paced back. “I’ll do my best to keep those emotions out of this. Aside from that, did I manage to give you a sense of how theology has had an impact on the conflict between the Muslim world and the West?”

Kate nodded. It was an awkward silence, the baring of Quinn’s grief all the more poignant because of how much effort he was putting into pretending it didn’t exist.

Quinn shuffled through the papers. “Let’s set aside the theology. Is there anything you find remarkable about the Web site as a cop wondering about the kidnapper?”

Kate thought for a moment. “If the kidnapping was only for money, it’s strange that all this effort has been put into the Web site. But if the kidnapping was driven by emotional motivation, it’s strange that the Web site arguments are not rants but laid out in relatively unemotional language to present a compelling case. Either way, this material doesn’t seem like it belongs here.”

“I agree,” Quinn said. “Go a step further. Is this Web site a defense of the Palestinian cause?”

Kate gave a puzzled look.

“At the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Palestinian terrorists used the hostage taking to draw worldwide attention to the plight of Palestinians. Terrorists nearly always justify their actions by arguing their cause. Back then, I’m sure they would have used a Web site in the same way Safady’s doing now.”

“You’re saying this Web site doesn’t argue
for
a cause or ideology but
against
one.”

“You’ve seen CNN’s feeding frenzy. Al Jazeera is covering it just as much. A kidnapping like this guarantees full-scale media attention. Setting up the Web site and releasing the video show media savvy. Cynical as it sounds, the airtime the media will give this until it is resolved is the equivalent of getting a string of Super Bowl ads for no charge. Maybe even the halftime show. A media-savvy person or organization knows the smart move would be to position your product, not use the opportunity to draw attention to the obscure product of a competitor. I have to assume we’re dealing with a smart group. The logistics behind a successful kidnapping of thirty Americans from a guarded tour bus is proof of it. So that leaves the important question: why is this terrorist or terrorist cell choosing to highlight a theology that’s largely been ignored in this conflict instead of showcasing injustice against the Palestinians?”

“You have an answer?” Kate asked.

“Just that for some reason Silver is being set up here,” Quinn said. “And a gut feeling that we don’t know half of what’s happening.”

Dayr al-Balah, Gaza Strip • 10:03 GMT


The ground around the Palestinians seemed to burst with a muted pop where demolitions had buried a large circle of smoke and tear gas canisters in the sand. Instantly, billowing clouds hid the Palestinians. But Patterson knew, of course, what was happening inside the cloud. The Palestinians would be on their knees, fighting for air, each desperate breath filling their lungs with more paralyzing gas.

There was no need for Patterson to hide any longer. He stepped to the window. Burge joined him, lifting his machine gun and pointing it at the cloud in the compound, maybe fifty yards away.

One man stumbled out of the smoke, falling on the ground, convulsing.

Burge snapped off a burst of shots, stitching the sand around the prostrate Palestinian. The dust danced as more bullets rained in from other buildings, and within a couple of heartbeats, the man’s body had been shredded.

Other Palestinians emerged from the wall of smoke in the same disoriented panic as the first. Bullets lifted and flung them as if they were marionettes jerked by strings.

“Like rats from a burning building,” chortled Burge. “Come on!” He fired another burst from his machine gun. By then, maybe seven Palestinians were on the ground, bodies heaped as if thrown from a ladder.

Return gunfire came from inside the smoke.

Patterson guessed the ones inside were finally realizing what was happening and were firing at random at their unseen enemy. But it wouldn’t matter. The Freedom Crusaders were protected by the buildings and could afford to wait to pick them off one by one, even if it took until the smoke and tear gas dispersed. Saxon wouldn’t call off the firefight until the body count in the compound reached fifteen—100 percent enemy casualties.

Patterson was supposed to contribute to the slaughter. He knew that Burge would find it odd if he didn’t. So he fired bursts from his position at the window into areas he knew would not hit the men hidden in the cloud of tear gas, enough bursts to make it look like he was taking the same joy in this death and destruction.

Then he tapped Burge on the shoulder and pointed at the red and black heifer.

Burge nodded and Patterson took advantage of the excuse to retreat from the window.

He reached the heifer and patted it. If Burge happened to look back, it would appear as if Patterson were trying to calm it in the chaos of the gunfire.

But Burge didn’t seem interested in Patterson. He was too intent on picking off escaping enemies and yahooing each time a new one fell.

21

Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip • 10:21 GMT


For a temporary office, Safady had set up his laptop in a small, dark storage room, with cables running from the computer under the door to a satellite hookup.

Safady sat in front of his laptop and watched a video clip of the execution of the two Americans who had tried to escape the orphanage. A shame he couldn’t put that on his Web site, but as expected, it had been shut down. Didn’t matter. The media had served him well to promote it, and it had accomplished what was necessary. Praise Allah for the greed of Western media. Terror only worked because of it. Forget whether a falling tree made noise in an empty forest; the relevant question was whether a bomb would make any sound if it went off and no media reported it. Safady knew the answer. If bombings didn’t make headlines, how could terrorists inflict terror on the rest of the population?

As for the latest execution clip, he’d send it out via e-mail to a few contacts, and within hours it would spread across the world. In the short term, he needed his computer for something else.

Safady watched the computer clock until it was the precise moment to enter his password. Moments later, his Mossad contact initiated the chat, and words appeared on the screen.

Host:
When it rains in the park, who is happiest?


Guest:
A parched pigeon.


Host:
Your computer has been found in the Jerusalem apartment.


There would be crowing at the Mossad over that, Safady thought. Fools. If Safady had wanted to be traceless, it would have happened. He clicked his response.

Guest:
Took long enough. Do they need guidance to find me too?


Host:
They have the hard drive now. I expect they will learn your location immediately. The son will leak it to the media immediately after that. Watch CNN.


Only because Safady had practically drawn a map and left it on his hard drive. He keyboarded his next question as an order and took satisfaction in it.