THE PROJECT

, the reactionary governor of a Sunbelt state, out of the Oval Office. With the election less than a year off, however, Goldberg discovers he has a problem: Elihu Barzel, Israel's charismatic PM is undermining him in America's Jewish community (a major source of campaign funds) and appears set to support his probable opponent. Surrounded by GOP holdovers from the previous administration, Goldberg dispatches journalist-friend Charlie Walker to Tel Aviv to investigate. Using in-country contacts, Walker learns a lot about Barzel, a crafty Palmach veteran who arrived in Israel from Poland after WW II and amassed a sizable personal fortune after a stint as a Nazi hunter; a bachelor, the hawkish Prime Minister entered politics late in life but was able to form a conservative government with backing from right-wing religious groups. Puzzled by gaps in the biography of the mystery man ((who also has an early date with his nation's voters), Walker keeps on digging and catches wind of a strategic government initiative known only as The Project. Appalled by the possible consequences of this undertaking, an Israeli intelligence operative leaks the horrific details to Walker; the roving correspondent goes on to uncover another dark secret, this one from Barzel's distant past. Walker shares his findings with Goldberg, allaying the Chief Executive's fears of an anti-Semitic backlash, and the two heads of state eventually do a deal that makes the world safe for their pragmatic brand of democracy. Another hugely entertaining tale from Chafets.