The Last Israelis - an Apocalyptic, Military Thriller about an Israeli Submarine and a Nuclear Iran Read Online Free PDF Page A

see if there are any non-Ethiopian dates that we can set you up on.”
    “When you put it like that, I’m the one who sounds racist!” Sanbeto exclaimed, to their laughter.

Chapter 5: Yisrael
    As Ambesah and his group were laughing, Yisrael Dayan stood nearby talking to his wife, Netta, and the tone of their conversation could not have sounded more different. Netta had accumulated nothing but bad news for the deputy captain during the last ten days that he had been away on the submarine exercise.
    He looked away, clenching his jaw as he tried to contain his emotions. The sun reflected off Yisrael’s bald shaven head. Below his large forehead, a pair of intellectual-looking, circular-framed spectacles seemed to accentuate his intense, blue-grey eyes.
    “At least he was surrounded by his loved ones,” Netta said.
    “Was he in pain?”
    “The doctors did their best to minimize it. And there was a beautiful tribute to his incredible life during the shiva that you missed.”
    Yisrael stood solemnly for a moment unable fully to grasp the news of his grandfather’s passing. He tried to articulate something but his mouth felt dry and inept.
    “On the night before he died in his hospital bed I told him that you would soon be captain of the submarine and his face lit up with so much pride.”
    Yisrael finally burst into tears, as Netta held him.
    “Of all of the things I’ve missed in my 37 years of life, this one hurts the most…He was such a special human being…”
    “I know…Sometimes it seems as if people like that aren’t made any more…He lived such a full and extraordinary life, and meant so much to so many people…He asked me to transcribe his diary for you…It’s quite a lot. He was a beautiful and prolific writer...”
    “And he had so much to write about…He did in 95 years what most people would need two hundred years to do.”
    “I know…I still have a long way to go before finishing, but I brought you a printout of his earlier years – his childhood in Poland, his time fighting in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and being one of the few to survive it, up through the time that he helped to found the State of Israel.”
    Netta handed Yisrael a bound printout of about 100 single-spaced pages.
    “Thank you!” The left-handed deputy captain briefly flipped through the pages, in awe of the history and personal significance of what he held. “This means so much to me – just to have something of his spirit on the submarine with me, keeping me company on our next mission. I will read and treasure every word.”
    “His spirit will be with you. Always. And I know you’ll make him proud.”
    “I will always try. Which is why I’ll probably always regret that I didn’t give him the one thing that he wanted most from me while he was still alive.”
    “Well, it’s not for lack of trying…Some things are just beyond our control.”
    “We definitely tried,” Yisrael added, in slight resignation. “Did my test results come in yet?”
    “I prefer that we not talk about it now. Especially after your grandfather’s passing – and when you’re about to leave again for who knows how many weeks…Why don’t we wait until you’re back?”
    “No, I need to know.”
    “No, you don’t…What difference can it possibly make when I’m not even going to see you for the coming weeks?”
    “It can’t be good news, if you insist on avoiding it.”
    “Please, Yisrael,” she pleaded. “Let’s drop it for now, OK?”
    Yisrael looked away, frustrated and assuming the worst. Netta needed to change the subject fast.
    “Actually, there’s something I wanted to tell you – in connection with your promotion.”
    “What is it?”
    “I think you should stop going to those left-wing demonstrations when you’re at home and off-duty.”
    “Why?”
    “Last week there was a news story about a protester who attended a demonstration and spoke with the news cameras about his political views. During the interview