‘Trials of Zion’ by Alan Dershowitz

What do you think would immediately happen if the American president, Israeli president and the Palestinian leader were all suddenly killed in a terror attack, along with dozens of others, in East Jerusalem during a historic peace treaty signing?

An attack on (fill in adversary) by Israel and/or United States? An invasion of Gaza Strip/West Bank/Lebanon by Israel? The beginning of World War III?

In Alan M. Dershowitz’s new novel, “The Trials of Zion,” none of those things happens. In fact, nothing cataclysmic seems to happen at all in the following days and weeks of the attack. It seems highly unlikely, in the post-9/11 world, that such a scenario would play out. Three dead leaders and no immediate military response? It‘s an absurd, unrealistic scenario.

But this is a novel. And fortunately, “The Trials of Zion” isn’t about the terror attack, which takes place in the opening pages of the story.
It takes a back seat to the courtroom drama that follows, and it’s a good one. I can’t imagine a much better courtroom storyteller than
Dershowitz, the famed American lawyer who has been involved in many high-profile cases, including the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton and the trials of O.J. Simpson.

The story is built around Emma Ringel, a young Jewish-American lawyer who joins the legal team of Faisal Husseini, a young Muslim radical and Palestinian who is the chief suspect in the attack. She flies to Israel, but Ringel’s father, Abe, is worried about his daughter
traveling to the volatile Middle East.

Abe’s worst fears are realized. Emma is kidnapped and held for ransom in Jericho by a Palestinian group. The group wants Abe, a world-famous criminal defense attorney, to defend Husseini and get him acquitted. Along with some others, Abe has doubts about whether Husseini is guilty, despite his alleged confession. To save his daughter and to get to the bottom of who really orchestrated the attack, Abe agrees to defend Husseini. It’s a high-pressure trial that is riveting and enjoyable to read.

During the proceedings, after being questioned by Abe, Husseini says to no one in particular, "What else can one expect of a Jewish lawyer? Trickery, deception, disloyalty, perversion of trust, sneakiness, dishonesty — you are trying to lay a trap for your own client. You are a Judas, without even the excuse of the coins."

But the trial, which has some surprises, doesn’t last long enough. Dershowitz has to tell the rest of the story, such as what happens to Emma, who committed the attack and does Emma find true love? These subplots, wrapped in a box of Mideast politics and religion, are intriguing but ultimately distracting. Trying to tie up the loose ends in 300-plus pages in a legal thriller proves to be a daunting and unsatisfying task.

There’s a lot going on in “The Trials of Zion,” perhaps too much for those with a passing interest in Mideast affairs. But readers will best
remember the courtroom theatrics and Emma’s kidnapping ordeal.