The Ezekiel Option

An Aeroflot flight from Moscow to New York has been hijacked and diverted toward Washington.

Jon Bennett, an envoy of the President and main architect of the Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty, is in Moscow in preparation for treaty related discussions with the Russian government. However, his fiance (a CIA operative) who was with him in the Kremlin at the time of the coup is kidnapped by the new Russian government in order obtain CIA encryption codes.

Before the UNSC resolution comes to vote, the US President sends Mr. Bennett to Israel to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Doron, as well as the former head of Mossad, Dr. Mordechai.

Dr. Mordechai interprets this as an alliance led by Russia together with Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Sudan and Saudi Arabia against Israel and proposes a new policy called The Ezekiel Option (as opposed to the Samson option).

The Russian Czar Gogolov and his second in command meanwhile evacuate Moscow via helicopter to a secure command bunker in the Ural Mountains.

A massive and sudden earthquake takes place with the epicenter near Jerusalem. the buildings in the Kremlin complex and the Red Square are hit and destroyed including St. Basil's Cathedral and Lenin's Tomb. The Blue Mosque in Turkey and the Reichstag in Germany follow. Near Israel, troops massing on the borders are being massively firebombed and destroyed. In Jerusalem a series of fireballs destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock and all other buildings on the Temple Mount.

• Barbara's review of "The Ezekiel Option" on Goodreads