A Beggar in Jerusalem: A novel by Elie Wiesel

Author:Elie Wiesel [Wiesel, Elie]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9780307833808
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2013-02-13T05:00:00+00:00

LIKE everywhere else, conversation inside the camp centered on war: would it take place? Yes or no. Some dreaded it despite everything, others hoped for it despite everything. Time worked for the other side. A conflagration seemed imminent, inevitable. Should we take the initiative, or procrastinate? Pseudo-diplomats and instant strategists abounded: we should do this, say that. But all agreed on the outcome: we would win for lack of alternative. We had to win. The enemy could afford losing once, three times, ten times. For us, no victory would be final, while any defeat would be the last.

The danger grew sharper and sharper, with the vise tightening day by day, hour by hour. The tension had long since reached the breaking point. Determined to give diplomacy its chance, the government appealed to its friends for support. The enemy saw in that a proof of weakness. What should be done? Message from Paris: above all, do not fire the first bullet. Request from Washington: above all, be patient, keep us informed. Warning from Moscow: the enemies of our friends are our enemies or will become so. The Vatican, faithful to its principles, kept silent.

To the hundreds of journalists converging from the four corners of the earth, the country presented an unfamiliar face, confident but grim. Old men drove old taxis retrieved from the junkyard. Schoolchildren distributed mail, dug trenches and antiaircraft shelters, replacing adults in offices and in the fields. Few automobiles on the roads. Cafés and hotels deserted. Telegrams pouring in from relatives and strangers: Send us your children. Polite but categorical refusal: Jewish children will be protected and saved right here—or nowhere.

In expectation of an event, of the decisive test, under the eye of destiny, people conversed in hushed voices at home and in public places. Complete strangers spoke to and assisted one another. No panic in food stores. No pushing or shoving while standing in line. No rush for clothing. No flare-up of tempers while waiting for the bus. Never had people been so friendly to one another and to foreigners. Their personal anguish conferred dignity on them. One French correspondent wrote: “I am ashamed to appear outside in civilian clothes.” Another journalist went even further: “I am ashamed not to be a Jew,” he stated.

Meanwhile the enemy was openly preparing to attack. Former adversaries and ancient blood rivals concluded pacts and alliances, embraced before cameras, and placed their armies under joint command. The Soviet Union dispatched technicians and equipment. China promised the moral support of its masses, Algeria pledged planes and experts, Kuwait an armored division. In Arab capitals delirious mobs seethed with excitement and acclaimed the future heroes of the holy war, the total war. Orators invited Jewish women to make themselves beautiful in order to welcome the conquerors, who had clear and simple orders: burn the cities, raze the kibbutzim, slaughter all combatants, and drown the people of hope in an ocean of blood and fire. Words? Yes, words. Words which evoke laughter and fear. Words which haunt the cemeteries of Europe.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.