By Way of Deception

102 BY WAY OF DECEPTION"Air force?""No. Tanks.""Oh, you ended up pongos," I said, laughing. (Pongos is a Hebrewexpression that plays on the word fungus to mean people inside atank, which is always dark and often damp.)I said I knew Harari slightly and asked Yakov if they had any jobopenings."Oh yes, they're recruiting salesmen," Yakov told me. "Is Hararistill president?""No, no," he replied, naming another man."Oh. What's Harari doing now?""He's a diplomat," said Yakov. "And he also has an import- exportbusiness in the Kur Building."That rang a bell because Avigdor had reported seeing a Mercedeswith a white diplomatic plate at Harari's house. At the time, I waspuzzled. For a person with a Hebrew name to associate withforeign diplomats in Israel was very suspicious. All diplomats inthis country are considered spies. That's why an Israeli soldierwho is hitchhiking can't accept a ride from someone withdiplomatic plates; he'd be court- martialed if he did. And whenAvigdor saw the Mercedes at Harari's house, we didn't know it washis car. We thought it belonged to a visitor.Yakov and I chatted for a few more minutes until a woman cameover and told me it was my turn for the job interview. Not wantingto raise any suspicions, I went in to the interview but deliberatelyflubbed it.So far, I knew where Harari's wife worked — at Tel Aviv University— and that Harari himself was a diplomat. But where? And forwhom? I could tail his car, but if Harari was a diplomat, he'dprobably had intelligence training; I didn't want to get burned onmy first exercise.On the second day, I told Kauly that I planned to complete myexercises one at a time. First I'd make contact with Harari; then I'dfind out who Mikey was.Every time we walked out of the apartment, it was possible wewere being followed. If that happened, you had to