An American ambassador to Israel tries to bring peace to the Middle East conflict through unconventional methods, but his efforts are hampered at every turn and his personal life threatened.
Robert Mitchum plays a controversial U.S. ambassador to Israel who tries to solve the Palestinian question while being criticized by all factions, which takes a turn when his wife begins having an affair with a PLO chief. Rock Hudson (in his last theatrical movie role) plays Mitchum's chief security officer who saves his life in an assassination attempt and tries to help him resolve the conflicts around them.—Anonymous
Israel. January, 1984.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Peter Hacker (Robert Mitchum) and his head of security Frank Stevenson (Rock Hudson) are en route to a secret location in the Judean desert to meet with representatives of the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization). It is part of Hacker's secret plan to have young Jews and Muslims begin a peaceful dialogue. An armed Israeli helicopter locates and disrupts the meeting by firing on it causing several deaths. Hacker and Stevenson survive and are apprehended by Israeli ground soldiers.
Meanwhile, Alex Hacker (Ellen Burstyn), the ambassador's troubled and lonely wife is in Jerusalem where she is secretly meeting her lover Mustapha Hashimi (Fabio Testi). However, she is followed and their tryst is caught on videotape by an unknown person.
Hacker and Stevenson are taken to the office of Israeli Defense Minister Eretz (Donald Pleasence) who confronts them for not informing him on the meeting and also reiterates his opposition to Hacker's peace efforts. Upon returning to the American embassy, Stevenson makes contact to a secret superior where he also voices his concerns and wishes to see an end to Hacker's assignment as ambassador.
At a diplomatic function later that night, Alex is drunk and making a scene causing her to leave by taxi to meet with her lover once again. While calling him from a phone booth in front of his apartment an explosion goes off injuring her and killing several others. Hacker and Stevenson head back to the ambassador's residence, not knowing of Alex's whereabouts. Hacker is telephoned by an unknown man telling him to make contact at a movie theater, alone. After his arrival he enters the damaged building where the film of his wife's infidelity plays on a movie screen. Stevenson, who is not far behind, also sees it.
Hacker is informed that his wife is safe and making a full recovery in hospital. He and Stevenson visit her where she tells him that she wants to get out of Israel. Back in his office, Hacker is again contacted by the unknown man. Conditions are made that if one million dollars in hush money is not paid, the film will be released and a private copy will be made available for the President of the United States. Hacker refuses to pay the extortionist. Frustrated, the man mentions the name of Alex's lover, prompting him to have Stevenson investigate further. Hacker later confronts his wife that night and tells her of the affair and blackmailing scheme.
Alex again visits her lover to find his true identity. Mustapha Hashimi turns out to be a wealthy business man and PLO member. Minister Eretz is informed of the situation and finds the film was made by Mossad agents to keep taps on the Hackers and its prints stolen under their noses.
Meanwhile, Stevenson makes headway finding the location where the film was developed and visits the print shop looking for answers. After being knocked out and duped he catches a woman involved in the scheme. He offers her protection and she reveals the identity of the blackmailers.
Hashimi is also being blackmailed for $500,000 and decides to pay. After learning of this, Hacker sets up a meeting with Hashimi and sees an opportunity to use his influence within the PLO to have a peaceful meeting between Jewish and Muslim students to which he agrees. Elsewhere, Stevenson interrogates the two blackmailers who reveal that Hacker is being pursued by a KGB assassin named Stone.
That evening, the Ambassador conducts the meeting with Israeli and Palestinian students at an ancient Roman ruin outside of Tel Aviv and it ends with progress between the two parties. However, Palestinian terrorists ambush the students causing a bloodbath (killing both Israeli and Palestinians alike) and Hashimi's assassination. While most of the terrorists flee, Israeli authorities, led by Alex and Stevenson, arrive to find Hacker alive and head back to the residence where Stone is waiting for him. Just as he is about to make a clean shot from his car Stevenson shoots Stone in the back of the head, leaving the ambassador unscathed.
Back at his house, while sitting with his wife, Hacker tells her that he is thinking of resigning but she disagrees and favors him staying on. He later walks outside onto his front porch only to see a group of young Israeli students holding a peace rally.... bringing him to tears.
