In memory of former Prime Minister Golda
Meir (1898-1978) and all the soldiers that
died in the War of 1967 - on both sides.
Characters:
Lt. Moisha Levine, IDF
Brigadier General David Benjamin, IDF
Lt. Robert Sanders, IDF
Lt. Ben Jacob, IDF
Sergeant Judah Moses, IDF
Corporal Ibrahim Qati, IDF
Other soldiers of the IDF
Levine: Lieutenant Moisha Levine, sir, reporting for duty from the Officer Training School.
Benjamin: Have a seat lieutenant. I'll be with you in a second. [Sets down papers.] Lt. Levine, you have been assigned to First Platoon, B Company, Bravo Battalion of the Barak Brigade. Are you aware of our reputation?
Levine: Yes, sir. Barak Brigade is one of two brigades holding the Israeli frontier with Syria, and is reported to be the most elite brigade in the army.
Benjamin: Do you believe that.
Levine: I guess so, sir. I've never heard otherwise.
Benjamin: Lieutenant, let me tell you something. While we may be a brigade, in war it all boils down to one soldier, you. Whether you die on the field of battle or not depends on you individually more than your unit. We'll be behind you, but not between you and the Arabs. In that sense, the only reputation that matters is the one that you believe. So I ask again: do you believe that we are the best?
Levine: [Long pause.] I guess . . . I mean yes, I do.
Benjamin: Good, but remember: confidence is one thing, cockiness is another. Knowing the difference can save your life. [Picks up a sheaf of papers and hands them to Levine.] These are your orders and platoon status reports. I suggest you study them. Also, talk with your platoon sergeant and get to know him. Sergeant Moses is an old war horse. You don't have to like him, but you better trust him. Got it?
Levine: Yes, sir. Anything else, sir?
Benjamin: Yes. Have you ever killed a man, lieutenant?
Levine: What?!
Benjamin: You heard me. Have you ever killed a man?
Levine: No, sir.
Benjamin: Get used to the idea. We still do that from time to time. Dismissed. [Levine rises, salutes and walks to the door.] Oh, lieutenant.
Levine: Yes, sir?
Benjamin: Mazel tov. You're in the army now.
[Benjamin reads other papers on desk. Exit Levine.]
soldiers. Levine walks to the bar.]
Levine: Beer. [Gets beer.] Thanks.
Sanders: So, you're the new lieutenant. Welcome to the brigade. I'm Sanders. Robert Sanders. Call me Bob. Just got here a month ago myself.
Levine: Moisha Levine.
Sanders: Hi. [They shake hands.] I've got Third Platoon, A Company, Bravo Battalion. What unit did they stick you with?
Levine: First of B. Bravo Battalion.
Sanders: Rosen's old unit. Damn shame 'bout him. [Sanders takes a drink. A moment of silence.]
Levine: [Uncomfortably.] So, where are you from?
Sanders: Hafia. North Side.
Levine: [Brightens.] Really? I live right near there. Which temple do you go to?
Sanders: None of them. I'm a Catholic.
Levine: Oh. [Uncomfortable pause.] I'm sorry.
Sanders: It's O.K. I hope to recover.
Levine: No. I didn't mean . . . I mean . . .
Sanders: [Laughs.] I'm joking. It happens all the time. Don't worry. I stopped taking offense over that a long time ago. It doesn't matter to most people.
Levine: Oh. O.K. I guess I should have guessed from the name.
Sanders: Yeah. My family came over from America in the begin. . .
Jacob: [Loudly from the back of the room.] A group of Palestinians tried to sneak some guns in two weeks ago. So we ran the ragheads all the way back to Amman. [Laughter from men near Jacob.]
Sanders: [To Levine.] Some people never let it go.
Jacob: Let what go, Sanders? [Room quiets. All attention turns to Sanders.]
Sanders: The problem you have with the Arabs.
Jacob: I don't have a problem with the Arabs. Just all goys in general. [Laughter.]
Sanders: [Quietly, but with force.] In case you've forgotten, I'm a goy.
Jacob: [Menacingly.] I never forget, Sanders. [Grins viciously. A pause.]
Sanders: [To Levine.] Nice meeting you. See you around. [Yo Jacob.] I think I'll be leaving now. [Drops a coin on the bar, puts on his hat and leaves.]
Jacob: [To Levine.] Sorry about your friend there. Guess he's a little sensitive. [Strained laughter from other men. Levine runs after Sanders.]
Levine: Bob! Wait up! [Sanders stops and turns to Levine.]
Sanders: Listen. I'm sorry about that. He just gets on my nerves.
Levine: Yeah. We may be the chosen people, but I guess that God didn't choose very well that time.
Sanders: [Smiles and laughs.] You're O.K., Levine. [Pauses.] C'mon, I want to show you something.
Levine: What?
Sanders: Just follow me. You'll see. [They run to an observation post overlooking the Golan Heights and Syria beyond. Both look around, admiring the view.]
Levine: [Whistles.] Great view. [Points at Syria.] Bet you could see a hundred klicks into Syria from here.
Sanders: Yeah. [Pause.] What do you see, Moisha?
Levine: What do you mean?
Sanders: Out there. [Waves at Syria.] What do you see? What comes to mind?
Levine: Mountains, I guess. And farms. Why do you ask?
Sanders: [Smiles wryly.] Curiosity. It tells what kind of man you are. Jacob sees a bunch of dirty ragheads. General Benjamin sees the enemy. But you see farms. Nature. People. I guess you're different.
Levine: Yeah. I'm probably not much of a soldier.
Sanders: I didn't mean that. I just meant that where others see enemies. . . things . . . you see people.
Levine: I never thought about that. I simply think of them as people like you and me.
Sanders: What you "simply think" takes many a lifetime to realize. In fact, many never realize it at all.
Levine: Do you think that I'm special because of it?
Sanders: No, just human. [Pause.]
Levine: What do you see?
Sanders: Home.
Levine: Home?
Sanders: Oh, not my home. Other peoples' home.
Levine: What does that say about you?
Sanders: [Shrugs.] I don't know. I just know that wars shouldn't be fought in other peoples' homes. [Sanders exits, followed by Levine.]
stands near them with a clipboard. Levine walks in.]
Moses: [Sees Levine.] Attention! [Moses and the soldiers come to attention.]
Levine: At ease. [The soldiers resume cleaning.] Sergeant Moses?
Moses: Yes, sir. Welcome to the platoon, sir.
Levine: Thank you.
Moses: Would the lieutenant care to inspect the troops?
Levine: No, not right now. I'd like to run over some things with you first.
Moses: Yes, sir. What would the lieutenant care to know?
Levine: How are the men?
Moses: They're pretty good soldiers, sir. We have very few problems. Our unit is always at satisfactory readiness or better. Our proficiency scores always rank in the upper third. And the men are well disciplined. We have very few fights. However, there is one problem.
Levine: Yes?
Moses: Corporal Qati, sir. He's an Arab. Our men don't care, of course; we take care of our own. However, some of the other units' troops provoke incidents. Lieutenant Rosen and I would usually look the other way when fights would start.
Levine: Is that wise, Sergeant?
Moses: Yes, sir, if you don't want to get Qati in trouble, sir. Otherwise, his fights will get on his record, and that could ruin his career.
Levine: I hadn't thought about that. Which one is he?
Moses: That one, sir. [Points to Qati.] Corporal Qati! [Qati rises quickly, walks to Moses and Levine, salutes and stands at attention.]
Qati: Yes, sir?
Moses: Present the lieutenant with your rifle for inspection. [Qati hands Levine his rifle. Levine briefly examines it and returns it.]
Levine: That is all, corporal. [Qati salutes and leaves.] Thank you, Sergeant.
Moses: Yes, sir. Anything else, sir?
Levine: How do you feel about them, Sergeant?
Moses: Feel about who, sir?
Levine: The Arabs.
Moses: Never really though about it much, sir. The ones we fight are pretty good. The ones we fight with are better.
Levine: I mean personally.
Moses: [Shrugs.] I don't know, sir. The ones you hear about on the news are mostly scum. I knew a few when I was a kid and they didn't seem to be much different from you and I. And the ones in the brigade know what they're doing and salute the same flag we do. As far as I can tell, they're just a little different. They have a bad reputation, but I know quite a few Jews who give us a bad reputation if they were taken as examples of the average Israeli.
Levine: Do you treat the Muslim troops any different?
Moses: Aside from never buying them a drink, no. They work just as hard as any Jew, and if I treated them differently, that might change.
Levine: O.K. Anything else I should know?
Moses: Well, sir. The men know what they're doing and you're new here. So you probably want to take it easy for a while. Get to know the troops.
Levine: [Finishes for him.] Stay out of the way for a while. I understand.
Moses: Yes, sir. Anything else, sir?
Levine: Yes. Our orders just came. [Hands him papers.] We're assigned to outpost F for the next week. We're supposed to be out there tomorrow to relieve third platoon.
Moses: I'll ready the men, sir.
Levine: Good. That's all. [Salute each other. Moses walks to men. Exit Levine.]
Moses, Qati and other soldiers enter.]
Levine: [Walks to Jacob and salutes. Jacob returns it.] We have orders to relieve you and your unit.
Jacob: I stand relieved. [Levine and Jacob relax, the ceremony over. Jacob's troops begin packing up. Levine's troops take up positions at the perimeter wall.] You still hanging out with that loser Sanders?
Levine: What the hell do you mean by that?
Jacob: I mean that he's a no-good, lousy goy.
Levine: So you hate him just because he's a Christian?
Jacob: Damn straight. He's not one of us. His people have treated us like dirt for centuries.
Levine: What his people did is meaningless.
Jacob: It means everything. He and his kind are barbarians. It's sick the way you treat him.
Levine: You mean like a person?
Jacob: Why you little bastard! I ought to . . .[Jacob is cut off by a warning klaxon.]
A soldier: It's an attack. Here they come. [Explosions and sounds of war go off accompanied by quick, bright lights. Everyone runs to the wall and begins to fire off stage. Several soldiers are hit and die at different points during the battle. The battle continues.]
Levine: Yeah! Let 'em have it! [Realizes what he is saying and stops firing. He brings his gun to his chest and looks at it sickly. After a moment, he resumes firing with less enthusiasm.]
Qati: [To Jacob.] Look out, sir! [Jumps between Jacob and the enemy and gets shot in the chest. He falls back on Jacob, forcing Jacob to the ground. Jacob sits up and holds Qati, staring at him. Qati coughs up blood and dies.]
Jacob: [Screams.] You bastards! [Gets up.] You killed one of us! [Charges over the wall and is immediately hit. His body falls on the wall, dead. The battle continues a bit.]
A soldier: They're bugging out! [The battle sounds and lights slowly reduce to nothing. The troops begin to examine things and take care of the wounded.]
Another soldier: [Discovers Jacob. Checks his pulse.] The lieutenant's dead.
Levine: [Goes to Jacob's body.] Damn. [Sees Qati's body and walks to it. He carefully checks Qati's pulse and hangs his head. Enter Benjamin.]
Benjamin: Good work, lieutenant. [Levine rises and salutes him. Benjamin returns the salute.]
Levine: What happened, sir. I mean we didn't have any warning or anything.
Benjamin: I know. It appears that a group of rebels were trying to force their way in. It was pure luck that they hit when we had two platoons here. [Swallows.] How do you feel?
Levine: Mad.
Benjamin: I know what you mean. Their attacks make me mad too. All those lives lost . . . [Shakes his head.]
Levine: That's not what I mean, sir. [Benjamin looks at him strangely.] Oh, I can forgive them for their attacks. I can even forgive this. [Points to Qati.] But I can never forgive them for making me enjoy this. [Holds up gun.] I can never forgive them for making me a killer, sir. [Walks away.]
Benjamin: They're soldiers just like us. They expect us to shoot and kill them.
Levine: They're also people, General. And people deserve to live. [Exit Levine.]
tombstones. Sanders enters and walks over
to him. Both are in dress uniform.]
Sanders: Hey, Moisha. [Levine turns to greet his friend.]
Levine: Hi, Bob. How are things?
Sanders: Pretty good. There's a slot open on the General's staff that I might take. What about you.
Levine: Captain Falstein is being promoted. General Benjamin wants me to take his place as CO of B Company. He thinks that I'll get Captain's bars for the battle.
Sanders: That sounds good. You'll outrank me.
Levine: I don't think I'll take it. God didn't intend me to be a soldier.
Sanders: Are you crazy? You're a great soldier.
Levine: I don't enjoy fighting.
Sanders: And you think that makes you a bad soldier? Our job is to protect. Killing is an unfortunate consequence of our job, not the main goal. You're love of life means that you'll fight more for the lives of those you've sworn to protect.
Levine: Yeah, but the fighting just goes on. It will never stop.
Sanders: That's what we have to change.
Levine: How are we gonna do that?
Sanders: One person at a time. [Long pause.] You know what I love about cemeteries?
Levine: What?
Sanders: It's the only place where everyone is equal. It makes no difference whether you're a Jew, Muslim or Christian. The fact that you only come here in the end may be a good sign.
Levine: How's that?
Sanders: In the end, we'll all be equal. [Sanders smiles at Levine, who weakly smiles back.]
Levine: But what do we do in the meantime?
Sanders: [Thinks for a moment.] You got General Benjamin's "Individual" speech, right? [Levine nods.] Well maybe he's got something there. It doesn't matter what group you belong to, just who you are. The only person who can change you is you. I guess we have to be one man armies until everyone changes themselves.
Levine: "One man armies." I guess you're right. [Pause.] However, it's gonna be a long wait.
Sanders: Oh, yeah.
Levine: I guess I'll have to do something until then. Command of a company doesn't sound bad.
Sanders: Not bad at all. [They shake hands and exit together.]
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