Posted by Elli Fischer/ Adderabbi.blogspot.com with the consent of Toby Press

The Instant Premier

is a piece of territory for a piece of peace – step-by-step. I’ve heard himsay so umpteen times.”“Hi, Yehuda! Sorry I’m late.”It was Willie Fort, the man I had come to meet, pushing his way through the crowd. We grabbed a couple of chairs, took ourselves o to acorner by the door, and plunged into family news and politics. Willie was about my age, in his mid-forties, but you would not havethought so by his looks. Short and chubby, he had a boyish face topped by jet black hair that owed from a center parting and glistened like shin-ing glass, a bit like Bob Hope. ere was mirth in his clever eyes, and his wardrobe – he habitually sported extravagantly paerned suits over ashy shirts and amboyant ties – exuded an irrepressible bonhomie.Given my new position as adviser on Diaspora aairs, Professor William Fort was a good man to know. He was on intimate terms withall sorts of Washington grandees, and was also a prominent leader of hiscommunity. He was active in the United Jewish Appeal, Israel Bonds, and was a generous contributor to Israeli cultural causes. He had a reputa-tion as an exceptionally gied psychiatrist, with a professorship at JohnsHopkins University and an auent practice in Georgetown, favored, so it was whispered, by White House neurotics and fashionable hostesses withhyphenated names.

Our chitchat was interrupted by a newspaperman standing close by,

who suddenly called out in a most rascally fashion, “Here he comes – it’sKing K. himself.”Television lights from the mezzanine balcony overlooking the mar- ble lobby bathed the place in a luminescent glow as an armored limousine with a gold-tasseled American ag drew up. Out of it emerged Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, surrounded by a phalanx of security. He blew inlike a cyclone, exuding immense authority, and the guests in the roped-o lobby applauded while cameramen and photographers lmed and clickedas he, half-smiling, waved back over the heads of his bodyguards.Mounting the dais, he said in his famous Bavarian accent, “I haveno opening statement, so let’s get straight to the questions.” A dozen hands shot up and multiple voices barked questions. e

most strident, clearly Californian, asked: “Mr. Secretary, would you not say

that President Nixon is a damaged leader, seeking to trump Watergate by coming here to the Middle East and thereby escape his crisis back home by trying to project an image of a condent world statesman – and all inan eort to keep himself in oce?”

Prime Ministers 3rd 01 draft 01.indd 26411/24/2010 7:21:36 AM

Posted by Elli Fischer/ Adderabbi.blogspot.com with the consent of Toby Press

Yehuda Avner

Everybody began scribbling as the secretary of state shot back, “Pres-

ident’s Nixon’s visit to the Middle East is a political event of the highestmagnitude. e president has proven beyond doubt that he is indispens-

able as a peacemaker in this region. His administration’s accomplishments

in helping to broker disengagement agreements, both on the Egyptian and

the Syrian fronts aer the Yom Kippur War, open up the long road to apermanent selement. is is why – ”e Californian broke in: “But how can he focus on these momen-tous issues when he’s facing possible impeachment back home? He’s ght-ing for his presidential life.”Kissinger ignored the interruption and pointed to another ques-tioner, but before he could open his mouth Kissinger swung back, aimedan accusing nger at the Californian, and snapped: “It seems to me that your question is more a media xation than a presidential preoccupation. Wherever the president has traveled this last week and more” – he tickedo the names: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Israel – “he has been received with enormous enthusiasm, as those of you who have been traveling withus can testify.”“ere wasn’t much evidence of that in Damascus,” growled theCalifornian in a stage whisper.“at’s because you didn’t see what happened at the Damascus air-port when President Nixon said goodbye to President Assad,” answeredKissinger, a sudden smile sneaking across his face. “e Syrian presidentkissed him on both cheeks, which is an extraordinarily important gesture

in Arab culture, all the more so coming from one with a reputation of being

the leading anti-American rebrand of the Arab world.”Chuckles rippled across the hall.“Mr. Secretary” – this from the German correspondent – “it is saida diplomatic tilt is taking place here in the Middle East.”“It depends on what you mean by tilt. What’s your question?”“Is the tilt in favor of the Arabs, and will it have a long-term impacton the outcome of the Israel-Arab conict?”It was clear that the secretary of state liked the question. He leaned

leisurely against the podium, dusted his hands, pursed his lips as if to gatherhis thoughts, and in an authoritative fashion proclaimed, “Until six or seven

months ago, the Middle East was polarized between the Arab world and

Israel. Every tension in this region had the insoluble quality of a superpower

confrontation. e Arab states were backed by the Soviet Union and Israel by the United States. is is no longer the case. Now, a diplomatic turn has

Prime Ministers 3rd 01 draft 01.indd 26511/24/2010 7:21:36 AM

Posted by Elli Fischer/ Adderabbi.blogspot.com with the consent of Toby Press

The Instant Premier

taken place. Without giving up our traditional friendship and support forIsrael, we, the United States, have moved into a position where we can be

helpful to all parties in a negotiation process. And because of this shi – or

what you call a tilt – the Arab countries are reconsidering their previousone-sided alliance with one country alone.”“Meaning the Soviet Union?”“Exactly! e disengagement negotiations initiated by the UnitedStates aer the Yom Kippur War, which have culminated in President Nix-on’s current visit, are an armation of a dramatic reversal in the historicevolution of this area. e United States has now begun a relationship with all the countries in the region, not based on the exigencies of a par-ticular crisis but on the basis of a long-term strategy of peace, prosperity,and progress. President Nixon’s visit has served to crystallize this direc-tion. If we can stay this course by continuing the negotiation process, step by step – and we all know this is a very tricky and complicated part of the world – it could mark a historic turning point in the direction of a generalpeace, with America serving as honest broker.” All the ensuing answers were amplications of this premise, and when the secretary of state stepped down and made his way back towardthe lobby, Willie Fort, standing amid the crush, pressed forward againstthe velvet rope barrier and called out to him as he passed, “Heinz! Heinz!”Caught o guard, Kissinger halted mid-stride, and momentarily stared at Willie.Singularly excited, Willie shouted with a beaming smile and anoutstretched hand, “Heinz – recognize me? Wilhelm Furtwangler fromFurth. Remember?”e secretary of state ushed, threw Willie a contemptuous look,and strode on. His bodyguards, too, eyed Willie as if he was diseased, andshouldered him out of the way.“What on earth was that about?” I asked Willie, abbergasted. White as a shroud, Willie seemed about to answer, but did not.Instead, he shook his head, smiled glumly to himself, and skulked o toward the coee shop.“What did you tell Kissinger your name was?” I asked, pulling upa chair.

Stoutly, as if testifying before a court of law, he replied, “My name is

Wilhelm Furtwangler from Furth, Bavaria, the same place Heinz Kissingercomes from. We were at school together. My family escaped Germany and

got to America in thirty-seven, his in thirty-eight. We were both een. We