The Messiah is a Weapon

“I have a message for your government.” The Israeli agent took a deep drag on his cigarette. “We have incontrovertible proof that Iran will have a nuclear bomb within the next few months.”

“And why will that be important to my government?” asked the Jordanian agent.

“Because Iran is not just a threat to Israel,” replied the Israeli.

The Jordanian countered. “Your country has had an atomic bomb for decades. It has never concerned us.”

The Israeli sighed. “Whether or not Israel has an atomic bomb has never been a concern for any other country. Every country knows that if Israel had,” he emphasized the word, “had”, “atomic weapons, it would be for defensive purposes. We do not preach the destruction of any other sovereign state. Atomic weapons in Israeli hands would be a deterrent to rogue states and terrorist groups that seek Israel’s destruction. You must admit, there are a few of those around. But, if Iran, on the other hand, had an atomic bomb, that deterrent would be gone.”

“Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful,” contended the Jordanian.

“Of course, it is,” mocked the Israeli. “And when they have fully developed their technology, they will share it with the world, so no one needs to buy oil anymore. They are such upstanding members of the world community that Israel finally has a role model to emulate.”

“I get your point. No need for the sarcasm,” protested the Jordanian.

The Israeli agent continued. “I don’t know whether you have looked at a map lately. Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria lie between Iran and Israel. Even if Iran would not use atomic weapons against an Arab or Islamic state, and anyone who believes that is insane, you would be caught in the middle. Also, you know that Iran would use nuclear weapons to menace every country it wishes to manipulate. Letting them have that kind of power is tantamount to surrendering control of the Middle East to the Iranians. Do you want to be an Iranian province, or worse, an Iranian colony?”

“My government has good relations with the Iranians,” countered the Jordanian.

“What your government is doing is flirting with the devil,” replied the Israeli. “Any friendship between you and Iran is temporary. Your King is playing along, hoping someone else will solve the Iranian problem. If he can maintain friendly relations with the Iranians and keep them at arm's length, he may be able to hold on long enough for someone else to take them out of the picture. But he also knows if it does not happen soon, Iran will bully itself into Amman just like they did to Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria, and are in the process of doing to the U.A.E.”

The Jordanian sighed. She knew it was true. An atomic bomb in Iranian hands would destabilize the entire region. Iran, or at least the Iranian government, aspired to rebuild a Persian Empire. Those plans included the destruction of Israel and the control or annexation of every country in Southwest Asia, including Jordan. An atomic bomb would virtually assure them they could meet that objective, especially with Iran no longer bound by a nuclear agreement. As soon as Iran had an atomic bomb, every country in the Middle East would be subject to its wishes.

“So, what do you expect us to do?” asked the Jordanian. “We are in no position to confront Iran.”

“We know,” said the Israeli. “That is why we believe the best thing for your government to do is to step aside and do absolutely nothing.”

The Jordanian responded. “Let me get this straight. The message you want me to take to my government is that Iran is about to acquire an atomic bomb, and we should do absolutely nothing about it.”

“That is right,” said the Israeli.

“You realize,” the Jordanian replied after a brief pause, “we will have to show outrage and issue condemnations against your government.”

“If you must,” replied the Israeli. “We would prefer you simply remain silent. To me, it does not matter. That is up to the politicians. My job is to pass along the message from my government.”

Communications between countries, even ones with official diplomatic relations, are tricky, at best. They discuss and pass along only official information on formal relationships and policies through diplomatic channels. Low-level government officials discuss and negotiate the items necessary to implement the things handed down by the higher levels. The exchange of information that truly matters and directly impacts safety and security often occurs in the shadows of espionage, usually conveying meaning indirectly, as most things are implied.

“Avi,” said the Jordanian thoughtfully, “you know that, in the Middle East, silence is the equivalent of support. We cannot support or condone an act of aggression by Israel against an Arab state.”

“Iran is not an Arab state,” Avi reminded her. “They may have become the biggest supporters of the Palestinians, but it is simply because it suits their agenda. Once there is a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue, Palestine, like Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, will continue as an Iranian puppet. For Israel, it is bad enough that we have Iran on our northern and southwestern borders. We don’t need them on our eastern border as well. Besides, when will you stop pretending you are one big happy family? Do you honestly believe that either Iran, Libya, or Syria has the best interests of Jordan in mind?”

“I know,” the Jordanian confirmed. “You are right, of course. But you also understand the politics of the Middle East. Believe me, many Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, were relieved when you destroyed the Iraqi and Syrian reactors. But every one of us condemned you for your actions.”

“It’s funny,” said Avi with a smirk. “Iran attacked the same Iraqi reactor a few months before we did, and no one condemned them.”

“They were at war with Iraq,” replied the Jordanian emphatically. “That was different.”

“What was different is that no Arab country is willing to criticize Iran,” said Avi. “Israel, on the other hand, is always condemned even when its actions benefit the region.” Avi paused to take a drag of his cigarette. “Well, we expect to be condemned yet again. But your support is much more important today than it has ever been. Iran is far more dangerous than Iraq ever was. Saddam might have had a similar agenda, but he was far from adept at military strategy. He also had too many internal problems to present a real threat to the world outside his borders. Iran is a different story.”

The Jordanian interrupted. “Avi, my government will have to see the proof. After the Americans invaded Iraq on the false premise that the Iraqis had weapons of mass destruction, no one can be trusted. And with the events in Egypt, Libya, and Syria, Jordan has become very skeptical about anyone's intelligence except ours.”

Avi raised his eyebrow. “Auri, the Israelis are not the Americans. Besides, you don't have the resources to verify any information independently.”

“I know, Avi,” said Auri. “It’s a different world today. Everyone is on edge. My government is no different.”

“Okay,” said Avi. “Please deliver the message. Let me know what we need to do to ensure your cooperation.”

The Jordanian operative shook her head. “Avi, when will I see you again?”

“It will have to be soon,” said Avi. “As the Americans say, ‘Time is of the essence.’”

“And it’s about time we did more to improve Jordanian-Israeli relations,” smiled Auri.

“Give me thirty minutes,” said Avi. “I will text you a location.”

Aurika was a twenty-seven-year-old Jordanian beauty. Everyone called her Auri. She stood five feet six inches tall and weighed 125 pounds. With her long flowing brown hair, huge brown eyes, olive skin, full, luscious lips, and a killer smile, she was unbelievably gorgeous, not to mention her fabulous figure. She gave a look that made everyone immediately fall under her spell. It made it extremely easy for her to infiltrate almost any situation. Despite her looks and size, she could kill a man twice her size in less than fifteen seconds. She had been Avi’s contact for three years.

Initially, the contact was made through coded messages. Then it graduated to brief telephone conversations. The conversations were also in code. Like Avi, she spoke multiple languages, including Arabic, Hebrew, English, and Farsi. The language used in communicating was part of the code, with every conversation using a different language. When she needed to convey insecurity or signal that someone might be eavesdropping, she spoke in her native Arabic. Likewise, Avi switched to his native Hebrew when he wanted to express concern.

Of course, Avi already knew everything there was to know about her. But he had never seen her in person. When he first heard her voice, he immediately felt a connection between them that he knew would surpass their work. The issue was academic until the third year. Before then, whenever they spoke, they were always in different countries. There was never a chance they would ever see each other.

Then it happened. One day, she started the conversation in Hebrew. It meant she knew which city he was in, and she was in the same city. It also meant she needed to see him in person. Later that day, he sat in a pub in Trafalgar Square, in London. She sat beside him and said in perfect American English, “I don’t see how you Brits can drink that warm beer.” The reply, “Well, at least it’s not piss water like you Americans drink,” signaled the start of a new phase in their relationship.

The first time Auri saw Avi, she knew she was ready to cross a line she had never crossed before. He was six feet tall, with a trim, muscular figure. There was something about the way he looked at her. He had gray eyes, jet black hair, and light brown skin. She could only imagine the combination of genes that had led to such a creation. His charisma and humor made Hollywood movie stars look clumsy. He was a gentleman, perfect in every way.

From then on, every third or fourth contact was in person. Finally, after the third meeting, Avi said, “There must be more we can do to improve Jordanian-Israeli relations.” She replied, “As the Americans say, ‘Time is of the essence.’” That immediately became the exchange that signaled a desire for intimacy.

They needed to be extremely careful. Both their governments frowned upon intimate relations with the operatives of other countries. After all, under the bed sheets, there are seldom any secrets. People let their guard down and sometimes say things they should not say. Besides, friends occasionally become enemies in their line of work and must make sacrifices. Those sacrifices include doing some very unpleasant things. It is never easy to terminate someone to whom you have just made love.

Auri had other issues to deal with as well. In her country, a woman could still be put to death for sleeping with a man who was not her husband. Although it is no longer done, it was technically still a possibility. And then, of course, there was the issue of ethnicity. No matter how liberal an Arab thought they were, sleeping with someone who was not Arab, especially sleeping with a Jew, was still taboo.

Avi and Auri had managed to put those issues aside. They both knew their first allegiance was to their government. They also knew there was always a chance they would not live through the day. They never knew when they might see each other again. So, it had become customary; if either one of them could escape, they would use their key phrase to arrange a private meeting.

They were in Milan. Nestled in the foothills of the Italian Alps, blessed by near-perfect weather and beautiful European architecture, Avi thought it was one of the most romantic places on Earth. An hour later, Avi was waiting in a hotel room. The candles were lit. The wine was chilled. The music was playing softly in the background. There was a special knock on the door. He answered, took one look at Auri, and forgot all about the pending doom facing the Middle East. They spent the next four hours exploring, getting to know each other, and working up a sweat that led to exhaustion. Then they fell asleep, naked in each other’s arms. 

Whoever woke up first would quietly get dressed, sneak out the door, and leave the other behind. If they were lucky, perhaps they would soon have the opportunity to repeat the experience.