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The Critical Offer: A Political Thriller
A car bomb explosion horrifies Jerusalem.
Head of the Mossad, a former Israeli Air Force fighter pilot Gershon Shalit, is enraged by the murder of his daughter, frustrated by his wife’s decision to leave and distrusts his prime minister - seeks revenge. But, his first priority is to eliminate the fundamental threats to destroy the State of Israel's existence.
His random encounter with a beautiful Chinese diplomat, leads to an impossible love affair, where he is exposed to a once in a lifetime offer that could diminish the threats to his country and save Zionism from collapse. Nothing will keep him from making this offer a reality, despite a heavy personal price.
The Critical Offer is not just a 'run of the mill' thriller. Its futuristic and believable plot is based on a wide spectrum of inside information and suggests bold and 'out of the box' solutions to the Jewish state's main dilemmas… Can the Chinese megalomaniac initiative "Belt & Road" solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? If you care about Israel's destiny - The Critical Offer is a breathtaking book that will keep you awake for many nights...404 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 3, 2019
109 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Yitzhak Nir
1 bookYitzhak Nir is a former Israeli fighter pilot, trainer and operations planner in the IAF. He retired as an El Al captain and IAA supervisor. He took part in 86 combat missions, shot down 2 enemy planes and documented some 30,000 flight hours.
Yitzhak Nir is an author, painter and curator. He is also a former urban planning and road safety activist. His paintings can be found in art books, private collections and on book covers. He has published short stories and professional papers and holds a BA from New Haven University in Air Transport Management.
Among his friends are high ranking IAF and IDF commanders as well as public, media and art personas.
Yitzhak Nir is an author, painter and curator. He is also a former urban planning and road safety activist. His paintings can be found in art books, private collections and on book covers. He has published short stories and professional papers and holds a BA from New Haven University in Air Transport Management.
Among his friends are high ranking IAF and IDF commanders as well as public, media and art personas.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 5, 2022
A strange, sometimes even bizarre book. A champion in the category "novels that should have been essays or op-eds". The story is much less action-heavy than the cover implies. Instead of a thriller with political elements or critical thoughts (like the books by Jonathan Freedland), I read a slow-paced love story between the aging Mossad boss Gershon Shalit and an aspiring Chinese diplomat. What's good about this novel? Perhaps unsurprisingly, Nir is quite capable of succinctly presenting the inner life of a man in midlife crisis. The constant mentions of car crashes and dangerous road conditions are both funny (given Nir's background as a "road safety activist") and saddening. The scenes in Cologne were well-narrated (including the journey on the Diplomatenrennbahn, BAB 555). The descriptions of Tel Aviv and the dialogues between Shalit and his old friends are convincing.
The conclusion of the story is not. Even the most charitable reading makes the „Critical Offer” presented by the Chinese government all but "believable" (as the blurb says). Why should China be so interested in creating a lasting and mutually beneficial peace in the Middle East that it would be willing to pay the high political and economic price the "offer" necessitates? Nir gives no credible explanation.
The book is full of grammatical mistakes, spelling errors and strange formatting decisions (random bold and italic words), which is somewhat "cute" but also stands in stark contrast to the grandiose praise on the blurb. Due to these translation issues, I wish not to comment on the language and writing itself.
Can I recommend this book? I am not sure. Perhaps it represents a certain kind of contemporary Israeli fiction. Perhaps it is just one of the many bizarre novels sold in Supermarkets or corner shops. If the potential reader has no interest in middle-aged men or a hot take on Chinese-Israeli relations, this is a better starting point for good Israeli fiction: https://fivebooks.com/best-books/isra.... Do I regret reading it? No. I think that even though life is short, encounters with books that are out of the ordinary and do not meet common high-brow quality standards are far from a waste of time. They show us what is possible. Or, at least, they prove that we all could and should write more.
The conclusion of the story is not. Even the most charitable reading makes the „Critical Offer” presented by the Chinese government all but "believable" (as the blurb says). Why should China be so interested in creating a lasting and mutually beneficial peace in the Middle East that it would be willing to pay the high political and economic price the "offer" necessitates? Nir gives no credible explanation.
The book is full of grammatical mistakes, spelling errors and strange formatting decisions (random bold and italic words), which is somewhat "cute" but also stands in stark contrast to the grandiose praise on the blurb. Due to these translation issues, I wish not to comment on the language and writing itself.
Can I recommend this book? I am not sure. Perhaps it represents a certain kind of contemporary Israeli fiction. Perhaps it is just one of the many bizarre novels sold in Supermarkets or corner shops. If the potential reader has no interest in middle-aged men or a hot take on Chinese-Israeli relations, this is a better starting point for good Israeli fiction: https://fivebooks.com/best-books/isra.... Do I regret reading it? No. I think that even though life is short, encounters with books that are out of the ordinary and do not meet common high-brow quality standards are far from a waste of time. They show us what is possible. Or, at least, they prove that we all could and should write more.
May 22, 2020
Is a very indept book with lots of political views, and seems to be inside information. A little slowed for me. I like action that's quick. Like thrillers but needs to catch my attention. This honestly wasn't the book for me. But I did read it through though. It had a little bit of everything in it and plus some.
November 9, 2019
so i am going to review this on the writing and the story... both were very well done.. for me personally i didnt enjoy this story but not because of the author or the story itself.. the writer did an amazing job. and the story was well written and very well thought.. plus it had a thriller aspect i did enjoy.. however i dont do political books and so for me personally it wasnt an enjoyable story to read even though i did so.
December 31, 2019
Could It Happen?
This story is one of intrigue, deception, forward thinking, physical courage and love. The story is skillfully written with rich, full characters that are multifaceted and complex. I was at once wowed and humbled that the central character, Gershon Shalit, was true to his morals and convictions regarding his country and people. Shalit's desire was for Israel to be prosperous and principled and working for peace and prosperity for all in the country, not just the Jews. He is a man of his word and principles. He desires his countrymen to be committed not just to peace but also a future full of promise. I enjoyed this book and the story it tells. A strong 5 stars!
This story is one of intrigue, deception, forward thinking, physical courage and love. The story is skillfully written with rich, full characters that are multifaceted and complex. I was at once wowed and humbled that the central character, Gershon Shalit, was true to his morals and convictions regarding his country and people. Shalit's desire was for Israel to be prosperous and principled and working for peace and prosperity for all in the country, not just the Jews. He is a man of his word and principles. He desires his countrymen to be committed not just to peace but also a future full of promise. I enjoyed this book and the story it tells. A strong 5 stars!
June 26, 2020
This book was out of my normal comfort zone but I thought I would give it a try. I am glad I did because it was a good story with plenty to it. I give it a 3.5/5. There was a lot I liked about this book...some of the characters and some of the twists within the plot as well. I think it was very interesting to see things unfold as they were going on. I am sure others will enjoy this book as well.
February 26, 2020
Great read
Really well done, but the ending is very rushed and I’ve removed a star from the 5 I would have given. Ending is also a bit confusing, which is sad as up to there it was an engrossing read.
Really well done, but the ending is very rushed and I’ve removed a star from the 5 I would have given. Ending is also a bit confusing, which is sad as up to there it was an engrossing read.
March 10, 2020
I Enjoyed everything about this book there was nothing I didn't like about the book. I Like the setting,the writing style,the plot,the plot twists and the characters in the book were amazing.I would gladly reread it again.
September 8, 2019
‘Some sort of solution…’
Israeli author Yitzhak Nir has an impressive service record with the Israeli Air Force as a fighter pilot, trainer and operations planner, and earned his degree in Air Transport Management from New Haven University. He has experience in urban planning and inn addition to these credentials, Yitzhak is a recognized painter, curator, and author of articles and short stories. THE CRITICAL OFFER is his debut novel.
This novel could not be more timely. There is considerable focus currently on the State of Israel and its relationship to other Middle Eastern countries, as well as the political controversies that appear in the news daily. The author has constructed not only a splendid novel that is mesmerizing, but his book also suggests other paths available to the future of the State of Israel.
Written with gusto, this is an absorbing futuristic thriller that arrests the reader’s attention from the first page, and for a futuristic novel to open in the year 1985 adds a dimension of reality that sets the tone for the forthcoming bizarre events – ‘White fluorescent light flooded the briefing room, and he was listening intently. His life depended on it. He glanced at the shining Omega watch he wore proudly on his right wrist: in fifty minutes, he’ll take off on his night flight: His first time ever on a jet fighter. It was a hot summer evening in Tel-Nof Air Force Base, some twenty miles south of Tel Aviv, and the year was 1985. “A pretty simple flight,” the squadron commander concluded the briefing. “Overall it is a simple self-navigation drill at medium altitude with full moonlight over the Negev desert to Eilat – and back home. Just so you can feel the taste of darkness at night.” Credible, tense, and the story follows a relentless path.
Yitzhak provides a plot summary that entices our interest – ‘A car bomb explosion horrifies Jerusalem. Head of the Mossad, Gershon Shalit, is enraged by the murder of his daughter, frustrated by his wife’s decision to leave and distrusts his prime minister - seeks revenge. But, his first priority is to eliminate the fundamental threats to destroy the State of Israel's existence. His random encounter with a beautiful Chinese diplomat, leads to an impossible love affair, where he is exposed to a once in a lifetime offer that could diminish the threats to his country. Nothing will keep him from making this offer a reality, despite a heavy personal price.’
This is a stunning novel on every level – artistically, militarily, and politically. For a deeper understanding of Israel’s history and realm of possibilities for the future, read this fine book. Highly recommended.
Israeli author Yitzhak Nir has an impressive service record with the Israeli Air Force as a fighter pilot, trainer and operations planner, and earned his degree in Air Transport Management from New Haven University. He has experience in urban planning and inn addition to these credentials, Yitzhak is a recognized painter, curator, and author of articles and short stories. THE CRITICAL OFFER is his debut novel.
This novel could not be more timely. There is considerable focus currently on the State of Israel and its relationship to other Middle Eastern countries, as well as the political controversies that appear in the news daily. The author has constructed not only a splendid novel that is mesmerizing, but his book also suggests other paths available to the future of the State of Israel.
Written with gusto, this is an absorbing futuristic thriller that arrests the reader’s attention from the first page, and for a futuristic novel to open in the year 1985 adds a dimension of reality that sets the tone for the forthcoming bizarre events – ‘White fluorescent light flooded the briefing room, and he was listening intently. His life depended on it. He glanced at the shining Omega watch he wore proudly on his right wrist: in fifty minutes, he’ll take off on his night flight: His first time ever on a jet fighter. It was a hot summer evening in Tel-Nof Air Force Base, some twenty miles south of Tel Aviv, and the year was 1985. “A pretty simple flight,” the squadron commander concluded the briefing. “Overall it is a simple self-navigation drill at medium altitude with full moonlight over the Negev desert to Eilat – and back home. Just so you can feel the taste of darkness at night.” Credible, tense, and the story follows a relentless path.
Yitzhak provides a plot summary that entices our interest – ‘A car bomb explosion horrifies Jerusalem. Head of the Mossad, Gershon Shalit, is enraged by the murder of his daughter, frustrated by his wife’s decision to leave and distrusts his prime minister - seeks revenge. But, his first priority is to eliminate the fundamental threats to destroy the State of Israel's existence. His random encounter with a beautiful Chinese diplomat, leads to an impossible love affair, where he is exposed to a once in a lifetime offer that could diminish the threats to his country. Nothing will keep him from making this offer a reality, despite a heavy personal price.’
This is a stunning novel on every level – artistically, militarily, and politically. For a deeper understanding of Israel’s history and realm of possibilities for the future, read this fine book. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews