The sporty twelve year old David Kerzner dreams about a future developing the wooden box with glass eye into what we now know as the present television. It's 1938. At that time his father takes him to Amsterdam, despite the threat of World War II. His father's more experienced business partner, a Muslim Palestinian, wisely flees from Europe to Boston.
In Amsterdam the Nazi traitor Corbijn steals all the possessions of the Kerzner family. When the war is over, Corbijn uses Jewish gold and jewels that were meant for David to board one of the German submarines that steam secretly up to Argentina. From now on this traitor becomes Davids strongest competitor, using his heritage while David himself is totally impoverished. The competition is literally killing.
Based on a promise to David's father, the former business partner, the Muslim Palestinian, steps in to help the younger Jew. However it looks like the Christian Corbijn framed him too. The Palestinian indeed loses money, but his real worthy capital is in the hands of his gardener Habib. Meanwhile Corbijn has to assume his former Dutch partner, a very old and sick man now, is still alive. He is after his revenge.