Book 4, Chapters 1-2 Summary

The 6,000-year case of the Jewish people goes before the conscience of the world in Flushing Meadows, New York, at the United Nations. Barak serves as ombudsman for the twelve-man Yishuv delegation that has few illusions. Muslims control eleven votes in the General Assembly, where the Yishuv has only observer status, which means the Arabs need only six nay votes to kill the plan, which requires a two-thirds majority. The Muslims use bribery and play off the U.S. and U.S.S.R., which have never agreed on anything in this body. France is waffling, fearing an uprising in their Muslim colonies, while the Soviets fear reminding their suppressed Jewish minority that they are Jews. The Slav bloc, of course, votes with them. The U.S. are sympathetic to the Jews but do not want publicly to rebuff...