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TWO ISRAELI SOLDIERS Setting: Two soldiers doing duty together at an isolated checkpoint. “Samuel, what is this that I hear about that ….. (swear word) group that you’r thinkin about joinen?” “What are you talking about, Ahab?” “You know…..well what I’m talking about. But I will pay you the courtesy of refreshin your ….. memory. That group of ….. cowards who are ….. Palestinian lovers. I can’t believe how so many of you cowards are so ….. afraid of getting hurt that you would disgrace your country by joinin a ….. group like that, It’s a disgrace for me to even be in your ….. presence. But before you got interested in that ….. group of cowards, I considered you a friend.” “Listen Ahab, whether you think so or not, Palestinians are human beings with rights just like --” “Cut out that moral bleep, you ….. son of a whore. You and I both know that those ….. Palestinians are ….. terrorists who would murder every Israeli, if we gave them the ….. chance.” “Ahab, if you would try to clean up your language, I think we could have a more intelligent conversation.” “If my ….. profanity offends you so much, I’ll try to keep it out of my conversation. But seriously, do you expect me to think of those ….. Palestinians as human beings? You and I both know that they’re ….. insects to be crushed. We also know that every ….. one of them would shoot an Israeli in the ….. back if they had the ….. chance.” “Look, Ahab, if your sweeping generalizations make you feel better, go ahead and make them. But if you are actually convinced that every Palestinian would shoot an Israeli in the back if they had the chance, you show me two things about yourself.” “And what are those two ….. things?” “The first is your ignorance and the second is your racism. But we must admit that we Israelis give the Palestinians a lot of reasons to hate us.” - “Listen Samuel, and you better listen carefully. You can say what you want about my profanity. You can even falsely accuse me of making sweeping generalizations about ….. Palestinians. But if you don’t want me to beat the ….. bleep out of you, you better never, never again imply that I’m a ….. racist. Because I’m ….. not. But if you could be intellectually honest for one minute, you would admit that those ….. Palestinians are just as ….. bad as I say that they are. And you would also admit that those dirty Palestinians are inferior to Israelis.” “Ahab, it’s not going to do any damn good for me to try to make you understand that you are a racist. You would probably prefer that I say that you are not really a racist but that you have some perspectives that are similar to what racists have. That instead to being a racist, you are a very kind, considerate man with what you are convinced is justified rage at a particular group of people.” “Samuel, that’s much better. Now you have characterized me correctly. But you really had me ….. mad and a little worried that you were thinkin that I’m a ….. racist. But I really don’t care what you think anyway. Because you’re just a yellow coward who uses love for ….. Palestinians as a ….. excuse for bein afraid of getting hurt or killed. “Now tell me more about that stupid group of cowards who hate us Israelis so much. How could you think of joining a group that is so against our ….. nation?” “Look, Ahab, I would like to tell you about the group without getting into all of my reasons for considering joining. But I’m going to tell you about what the group stands for and why one particular person joined only if you agree to one condition.” “And what is your ….. condition that I probably won’t agree to?” “Before I give you the condition, let me make a couple of comments. You have let me know that you are very angry at Palestinians and--” “Your ….. right that I hate Palestinians and if you weren’t such a ….. Palestinian lover yourself you would have just as much rage and hate as I do. Listen to this! One of my ….. aunts was burned to death in a ….. bus near Jerusalem by one of those ….. Palestinian terrorists. How do you expect me to love those bleeps after that happened? Now what do you have to say about that?” “First of all Ahab, I’m sincerely sorry about the horrible act of terror that took the life of your innocent aunt. It never should have happened. Also, I can understand that you have many reasons to hate and--” “You better believe that I have many reasons to hate. But I don’t hate. I could just kick the ….. out of those ….. Palestinians who hate every Jew and hate our nation. So, why won’t you tell me your ….. condition? Instead, you just keep changin the ….. subject.” “The condition is this, that you will listen to what I say and not interrupt me just because you disagree so much with--” “Listen Samuel, do you think I can’t be polite and hear your ….. explanation. I certainly know enough not to interrupt.” “ Okay, but I also want to say this. That when I’m saying something that you strongly disagree with, don’t think that I think that you agree with me just because you don’t start blasting me for saying it.” “Okay Samuel, you made your ….. point. So, go ahead and tell me about that ….. group of ….. Palestinian lovers that you ….. love so much and I’ll ….. not interrupt.” But Ahab, are you going to listen or are you just going to get angry at everything I say and think that whatever I say is in your words “….. stupid.” “No, I’ll politely listen to your ….. stupid excuses to hate our ….. nation and love ….. Palestinians.” “If you can remember, Ahab, you asked me to talk about this and I’m not the one who started this conversation.” “Your ….. right Samuel, so go ahead and talk.” “Okay, here goes my sincere attempt to explain. There are well over one hundred of those who are reserve combat officers or soldiers who have denounced the army for immoral behavior toward Palestinian civilians.” “Come on Samuel, you know your lying. There is absolutely no immoral behavior toward Palestinian civilians.” “Do you want me to go on or not?” “Yes, I want to hear the rest of your ….. lies.” They also have declared that they will refuse to serve in the West Bank or Gaza. Their official statement is: “We hereby declare that we will no longer fight the war for the settlements’ safety. We will no longer fight beyond the Green Line (Israel’s pre- 1967 border) with the purpose of controlling, expelling, starving and humiliating an entire people.” “Those are just lies, Samuel, but go ahead and tell me the rest of your ….. group’s lies.” “I will now tell you some true convictions of a group member. For instance, Lt Shuman Entegrity was quoted in the paper as saying, “We were raised to be officers with values and they have turned us into combatants who deal in bloodshed and war crimes.” “War crimes! War crimes! Come on Samuel, you and I both know he is a ….. dirty liar. Go ahead! Go ahead! Tell me more of his ….. dirty lies.” Some more of his statements about crimes he was ordered to commit are: “I stopped ambulances at checkpoints as a paratroop officer. I stripped areas clean of groves and trees that are people’s livelihood as a paratroop officer. I entered houses and threatened the father as a paratroop officer. I fired at neighborhoods as a paratroop officer, and as such, I signed the letter to say: Enough.” Shut up! You and I both know that this son of a whore is a ….. liar. I myself worked lots of crowds of ….. teen-age stone throwers. The worse things I ever did were to break their arms or to shoot them with rubber bullets. And that ain’t against no law. And it certainly ain’t no war crime. If any ….. Palestinian lover says that it is a ….. war crime, I will personally rip out his ….. tongue. If that ….. tongue happens to be yours, so be it. “Listen, Samuel! There’s only one solution to our ….. Palestinian mess. If our ….. government makes up its ….. mind and kicks everyone of those ….. Palestinians out of our ….. land. Then our ….. problems will be solved. “By the way, in case you’re interested, my ….. girlfriend, Jeezabell, feels the same way about those ….. filthy Palestinians as I do.” “Ahab, that’s really sad and I’m quite sorry to hear that.” “Listen Samuel, you better keep your fat ….. nose out of my personal business or you will find it in the same ….. broken shape as the arms of some of those ….. teenage stone throwers. “But tell me Samuel, if you are so bloody ….. sure that this group has got it right and the rest of us ….. are all wrong, tell me somethin. Why haven’t you officially joined them yet? Why haven’t you put your ….. name on the ….. dotted line?” “Well Ahab, I’ve thought a lot about that and I truly believe as of now, that I can serve my nation best by being a sympathizer. Now is just not the right time to come out in the open and make public declaration against my nation’s war crimes. I’ll tell you what I think Samuel. I think you’ve disgraced the name of the Prophet you were named after. He stood up for something and you’re ….. afraid to stand for what you believe in. You are just a ….. yellow coward. I would call you a ….. coward skunk, but a ….. stunk has a white stripe down its back. But you, but you have a ….. yellow stripe down your back. You’re just a ….. yellow coward with no ….. guts. “The difference between me and you Samuel is that even if I’m wrong, I’m willin to stand for somethin. And you, if you are convinced that you are right, you are not willing to stand up and be counted. I’m even shamed to be in your ….. presence. You’re nothin but a ….. yellow skunk. Are you afraid to go to jail? Are you afraid to lose some money? Are you afraid your wife and kid will suffer a little bit? You’re afraid too that people will talk bad about you, aren’t you? Don’t you have any ….. faith in GOD? Don’t you think He will make your friends and family help your wife and kid? I thought He is supposed to protect those who do what they know is ….. right. But now I see what’s goin on. You’re just a scared little kid yourself out speak’n ….. platitudes where virtually no one can hear you. But when the rubber meets the road, when it will cost you somethin, you just shut your damn ….. mouth. You’re just a ….. coward who I cannot respect. “Look, Samuel! There, way down the ….. road. It looks like a ….. ambulance.” “Yes, Ahab, you’re right. It is an ambulance.” “Yeah, Samuel, it’s probably carryin one of those ….. Palestinian bleeps to the hospital because she wants to bring into the world another ….. terrorist stone thrower. “Well now, Samuel, what are we, me and you, two old buddies like we are, gonna do about our ….. little problem? “Of course ya ….. know what I mean by little problem.” “Yeah, I know what you mean.” “If you know what’s good for ya, ya ….. better know what I mean.” A woman can be heard screaming in pain about having her baby. The ambulance driver is pleading that he be allowed to rush the woman to the hospital. Ahab is saying ….. “no!” Samuel turns white and rushes to the side of the road. He quickly lays his weapon on the ground. Half digested food begins to spew from his mouth. Ahab is yelling at Samuel to stop his ….. pukin. The ambulance driver continues to plead. The young woman continues to scream. Samuel continues to vomit. Ahab slowly raises his automatic weapon with his finger on the trigger. Suddenly, there is a short, rapid burst of four or five quick pops, like firecrackers exploding almost simultaneously. Blood and brains fly everywhere. The woman’s screams become hysterical. The ambulance driver, as he sobs and mutters prayers, wipes blood and brains and skull fragments from his own face and hands. He then removes his glasses and wipes away more blood. He puts his glasses back on, but quickly realizes that he cannot see the road in front of him. He then wipes the blood from them the best he can while using the cleanest part of his bloodied shirt. With his glasses on again, his shaking foot presses on the gas. Samuel continues to vomit while sobbing. Ahab is lying in a large pool of blood on the road with part of his head missing. Ahab had placed the barrel of his weapon under his own chin before he squeezed the trigger. Suddenly there is nothing but a thick silence except for the intermittent sounds of gagging, sobbing and vomiting. A few hours later the mother gives birth to a 3-½ kilo boy named Abdullah. He will never throw stones. He was born dead. Weeks later Samuel is still afraid to join the group of protestors. He now has a bleeding ulcer. He often thinks of suicide. He and his wife are considering divorce. They have not slept in the same bed since Ahab’s death. Months later the ambulance driver blows up himself and seven (7) Israelis in a crowded Jerusalem espresso bar. He made himself into a human bomb and blew himself up in an espresso bar mostly filled with young male and female business people. Seven were killed and seven more were wounded through his death. Just before he exploded himself, he was heard to shout in perfect Hebrew. “Not one of you will ever bring another living baby into our land.” Ahab’s girl friend gave birth to a four-kilo boy seven months after Ahab’s death. He strongly resembles his father. She now works part time in a day care center to support the two of them. There are rumors that for extra income she is now involved in some prostitution. Another change has occurred in her life. She knew her boyfriend pulled the trigger because he could not live with the rage that was going to drive him to murder a Palestinian baby and possibly the baby’s mother. But it was too much for her also. She is now, without accepting payments, frequently taking care of a Palestinian widow’s baby so the woman can go out in the evening and sort of beg and sell chewing gum to cars at red lights. She is trying to buy enough food to feed her baby and herself. Jeezabell no longer hates Palestinians. The young Palestinian woman from the ambulance again became pregnant. In her tiny kitchen she gave birth to twin sisters to replace their martyr brother, Abdullah. Her family takes some consolation in the honor that Abdullah is one of the youngest martyrs in the Palestinian struggle for justice. His name means servant of ALLAH. They do not think of him as dead but as living. One of his tiny twin sisters died within minutes of being born. The overwhelming trauma her mother had endured affected her pregnancy caused her death. They consider the baby Laila also to be a martyr. She is also thought of as still living. Her name means night. But her tiny sister Subah whose name means morning, still clings to life. Samuel is now visiting prostitutes at night to see if they can help him with his impotence. He tells them about how guilty he is that he was complicit in the murder of a Palestinian baby. It sickens him even more that if he had not started to vomit he might also have been complicit in the murder of the young mother. His wife is happy to see him gone so much in the evenings. When he is there, he yells at her constantly, and even has hit her on two occasions. When he screams obscenities at her, she often vomits. Significantly, he has not vomited again since his horrible experience on the edge of that isolated road. (There are many Hebrews who have seen that road and say that it reminds them of a desert road in Israel that finds its way to Damona.) His little daughter, Sarah, also is glad that he is gone so much. It makes her cry herself to sleep, the way her daddy treats her mommy. She feels a kind of relief when her daddy swears and screams at her. It actually seems right for him to punish her this way because of how she is so certain that she is the one who has caused her daddy to hate her mommy. Another month later he screams at his wife that he will shoot out her ….. eyes or at least rip out her ….. tongue if she doesn’t stop think’n he is a ….. coward. She pleads with him to believe that she still loves him. She repeats to him over and over that he is not a coward and that she loves him dearly. But he keeps telling her that he can always know what she is truly thinking by looking at her eyes. So, he orders her to always keep her ….. mouth shut because he always knew what she will ….. say if she opens it. A conversation occurs a few months later between Jeezabell and her new Palestinian friend, Amal: “Amal, I have a secret I want to share with you.” “What is it?” “Its about Ahab. I am convinced that if he had not killed himself on that tragic day, he would have changed just like I have changed.” “Jeezabell, what causes you to think that?” “Well, I have never told anyone else this because he asked me to keep it secret. But with him gone, I think he would understand if he knew I told you, the way you and I are so close now.” “Any way, the day before that woman’s child and Ahab both died, he told me he wanted to tell me a secret. He said that in his own way he was gonna find out about that new group, because he was thinking he might join. But I guess he just didn’t have enough time to find out about it. You know, if he could have just found someone with guts and integrity, someone to be an example for him of courage, because inside Ahab was so afraid and he felt so guilty.” “Oh Jeezabell, what a shame that Ahab did not encounter such a man. For ALLAH knows How much wickedness and suffering can be prevented by only one courageous person. 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