Stateless by Alan Gold Read Free Book Online Page B

identified them. Now we’ve drawn them together. Twelve of them in total. Like Jesus’ disciples. All young Jews, utterly loyal to Mother Russia, but gifted in the language and cultural knowledge of the Jews.’
    Stalin continued to stare at Beria, who suddenly found the heat in the room overwhelming, and began to sweat. Was it all going wrong? Why didn’t Stalin react? Instead of saying anything, Stalin’s face was still like a mask. Beria couldn’t tell whether or not he understood, or agreed, or was about to explode with rage.
    Nervously, Beria continued. ‘Allow me to detail the context for your approval. You suggested that as the war against theNazis was at last turning in our favour, it was time to look beyond the boundaries of the glorious Soviet motherland, and think of a new Europe without the boundaries which were in place before the madman Hitler’s adventure. We know, when Germany is defeated, that we might absorb Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and the petty principalities of Bosnia, Herzegovina, Albania and Romania and so on. But there is also the matter of our navy . . .’
    Beria looked at Stalin expectantly, but the Chairman’s face remained like granite. Did he understand? Did he remember? It was impossible to read Stalin’s mind. He might be known to be forgetful – except where his enemies were concerned – but he was also cunning and guileful and so deadly dangerous.
    Again, Beria swallowed before speaking. ‘Might I respectfully remind you, Comrade General Secretary, about the outcome of the Moscow Conference which we’ve just concluded. This did more than agree on an allied pact against the Nazis. Britain’s Anthony Eden, the American Cordell Hull and our own Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov all agreed on ways to bring this war to a just and glorious conclusion. But what we must also prepare for is the disposition of the world after Hitler and his fascists are destroyed and become a footnote in Russia’s long and glorious history.
    â€˜The British and Americans think that they’ll be able to acquire territory, and so we must be prepared to expand before them. And in this you believed it was the sands of Persia, Arabia and the oil that lies beneath that should be our focus. But you also thought much further; it was your idea to create a permanent base for our Soviet navy in the warm waters of the eastern Mediterranean.’
    He hoped the phrase would alert Stalin’s memory. He waited for some response, but Stalin continued to stare at him. He wondered whether the man had fallen asleep with his eyesopen, knowing that Stalin slept one or two hours a night and catnapped during the day.
    Beria persisted. ‘So that we can remove our navy permanently from the Black Sea and base it in the open waters of the Mediterranean . . . so that we’re never again bottled in by Turkey.’
    Stalin didn’t blink, frown, or move a muscle of his face. For Beria, it was like talking to a brick wall.
    Beria now felt desperate. ‘Comrade, when Russia is victorious in this evil fascist war, the time is ripe for us to make great gains in the territory of the Middle East. For its oil. For the warm-water port that Mother Russia has always been denied. Palestine is a hotbed of internecine warfare, with Jews fighting Arabs fighting the British. We know that the Mufti of Palestine has allied himself with Hitler, so when Hitler is defeated, the Jews will fight the Arabs. And both will no doubt turn on the British. This is a chaos we – ’ Beria caught himself, ‘this is a chaos you clearly saw our ability to exploit.’
    Stalin nodded. A nod so small and subtle, many would have not seen it at all. But Beria saw it.
    â€˜Comrade Chairman, this is how I . . . you . . . proposed that we use our Fifth Column Jewish spies within Palestine. To lever our influence and create a Jewish communist