(Awful title, I know. But it was a pet project for a class a few years ago. Enjoy it's age. :)
Copyright © Kathy Elrick 2005
Rabin (70) – Medium build, white hair, slightly haggard but tough looking, official. Slightly Russian accent, eastern European influence of speech on broken English. Israeli Prime Minister.
Arafat (63) – Shorter frame, scraggly beard, that crazy bed-sheet hat and tunic type dress. Mixture of Arabian and French sounding accent (Egyptian) for broken English short, staccato. Leader of Palestinian Liberation Organization.
Bush (46)- Possibly tallest one of the bunch. Hesitant in speech, slight southern twang, seems like he tries his words out and sees how they fit. Dressed in business attire. Occupation – general managing partner of Texas Rangers and aspiring politico.
Setting: Classroom in Northern Jordan, or neutral country just outside of Israel. Late 1992.
Special Note:
Yitzhak Rabin has been a part of Israel’s military history since this nation of conflict was created by the United Nations in the mid 1940’s. Yasser Arafat like-wise has been a part of the Palestinian effort to find peace between the two cohabitants of this small country. Rabin was assassinated in 1995, almost 3 years after this ficticous scene takes place, but not before he and Yasser Arafat shook hands over the Oslo accords in 1993, which both men received the Nobel Peace price for their efforts at trying to establish a lasting cease-fire between the two peoples. At the time this play takes place, the first Intifada was drawing to a close, the Palestinian’s non-violent rebellion against unstable Israeli troops who would aggressively try to break the will of the Palestinians. Rabin was a respected leader of the Israeli people who tried negotiations while generals like Arial Sharon and Rabin’s party opponent Perez constantly made problems for Rabin and Palestinians.
(Lights up on classroom setting. Yasser Arafat is sitting at a desk with his chin on his fist looking bored. Rabin opens door/enters room.)
Rabin
Yasser Arafat? (Outrage.) What right you have to be here?!
Arafat
A diplomat’s. But with a greeting like that, I’d be happy to be a spectator.
Rabin
But why are you here? In dis building?
Arafat
I have meeting. Why are you here?
Rabin
At 2 o’clock, I have meeting. Hm. (Deflating, confused.) I don’t understand how Minister Arens would have missed an oversight like dis.
Arafat
Perhaps Peres was an influence. (Friendly laugh.) Personally, I always thought he liked your wife more than allegations of overseas bank scandal let on.
Rabin
(Somewhat coldly.) I will not humor such a subject. If I must wait here, backstabbing needs to be kept to minimum.
Arafat
(Quieting down.) It wasn’t meant out of meanness, I was only kidding. If you have to wait, sit, wait.
Rabin
Dis sis a horrible way to meet. (Distractedly sits.) I was hoping eef the day came we met face to face, there would be more of a celebratory undertone at least.
Arafat
I have some candy in my pocket. It’s no feast, but perhaps it could be peace offering.
Rabin
(Laughs gently.) Perhaps. What kind ez eet?
(Bush enters.)
Bush
Wha-? Well, hello. I wasn’t expecting to find anybody in this room.
Arafat
Mr. Bush? This is a surprise. What brings you to this side of the world?
Rabin
I was wondering if you would come, or not.
Arafat
He’s the person you’re meeting with?
Rabin
No, but my aides have told me recently about the American elections. And what President Bush’s ambassadors have been doing lately. Even though he lost re-election.
Arafat
(Points to Bush in disbelief.)
He’s an ambassador!?
Bush
No, not technically. But I am here on business of that kind. Goodwill, peace, hope for a better tomorrow. Even though it woulda probably been easier to convey these feelings having won the election.
Arafat
You mean, your father winning the election.
Bush
(sideways glance) Of course.
Rabin
But why are you here, in dis region? I hear you were supposed be meeting with your father’s friend, the prince of Saud.
Bush
I will get to that before I go back to America. But first I wanted to have a talk, some time with the leaders of Lebanon and Jordan. See how they are and whatnot.
Rabin
Why Lebanon?
Arafat
It is perplexing as to why you would be interested in them Mr. Bush, but as for you Prime Minister Rabin, is that your 2 o’clock appointment?
Rabin
Dat is none of your concern.
Arafat
Oh you bet your favorite Yarmulke it is. I half bin trying to see anybody from the Lebanese government for last two months! (Pounds fist.) Do you know how hard it is for my staff to even get bread to eat because of such wishy-washy politics?
Rabin
Eet eez far better for your people than concentration camps and hundreds of years persecution!
Arafat
Hundreds of years, try thousands, foreigner!
(Rabin strangles Arafat.)
Bush
(Appalled.) Gentlemen!
(Arafat starts to strangle Rabin.)
Bush
You two! Stop it, stop it right now, this instant!
(Pulls them apart successfully, both Arafat and Rabin panting and rubbing throats.)
I’m amazed at such behavior from foreign heads of state.
Arafat
The way the press has told our relationship, I am surprised we held off this long.
Rabin
But press ees not always right. As for how they blew up what Perez said about my wife.
Bush
You mean, that... that bank scandal wasn’t true?
Rabin
(Quickly.) I never said dat. I meant how they took Perez’s side furst and sensationalized eet.
Bush
It’s the Press. What do you expect? They aren’t going to understand politicians. They’ll never put us, people fighting for the very people such a medium as the press sends a message to, into a very good light. I have scales of stories about run-ins I’d rather forget.
Arafat
Sometimes you can use those to your advantage... But most often, not.
Rabin
(Tiredly.) But such character attacks... They should be stopped. They get in way of progress between governments. Thankfully I was able to still keep my people after the attack from Perez, but... Eet ees not right.
Bush
But don’tcha see? It’s not completely them, it’s the groups controlling them. The people you see on the screen is just puppets. They’re just obstacles in the course we set for ourselves as people trying to make a difference.
Arafat
Such an American trait. It is so optimistic of you! You think you can change the world, when the world changes faster than you can imagine. No matter who you are, the changes you make can be swallowed up like that! (Snaps.)
Rabin
Here we face dat reality. It makes one grow older faster, but wiser sooner. There is death at our doorstep and no where to turn that would not try to take advantage of you first.
Bush
So this is the attitude you come to conferences with. It’s no wonder you never find resolution, you aren’t even trying to look for it! Why did you become politicians in the first place if you felt this way? That nothing you did would count?
Rabin
Better in the government dan be squashed by it.
Arafat
(Chuckles.) Good one.
Bush
Wrong! That’s the lamest excuse for using Darwinism I’ve heard yet!
(Bush pauses, others confused, mumbling.)
Don’t you see the possibilities a government holds for helping the people you serve?
Arafat
But our government doesn’t work the same on the inside.
Bush
That I do understand. But if you two are even going to say you’re into the Socialism government you are a part of, at least acknowledge its primary principals of proletary-at. If you don’t have people, you have nothing to govern! So if death knocks at your door, take the power that’s been bestowed upon you and try and do something with it! But if you just let things pass you by, you might as well be trampled under foot like the people you aren’t helping. These days you shouldn’t stand if you don’t know where it is you are!
Arafat
(Pauses, stunned.) I... have no good quick comeback for that one.
Rabin
How about, why didn’t the chicken cross de road?
Arafat
Why?
Rabin
Because he was chicken.
(Bush and Arafat snicker.)
Arafat
(Quietly.) Do you ever watch Tom and Jerry?
Bush
(Confused.) Well, not recently, but I have.
Rabin
(Disgustedly confused.) Are you talking about de Cartoon?
Arafat
But of course.
Rabin
Why do you bring dem up?
Arafat
Because I like their humor.
Bush
Ok....
Arafat
I was trying to establish some common ground in the midst of lightheartedness. If anyone else liked Tom and Jerry, then we could all have a good laugh.
Rabin
(Arrogantly.) But what if I didn’t know who dey were? What then? I would be left out of the cordiality. That wouldn’t bring about any comfortable peace talks, now would it?
Arafat
I was just trying to share something. (Aside.) Not that anybody likes it when I bring up Tom and Jerry. But why not? They’re hilarious. Cat and mouse, always chasing each other. Friendly one moment, killing each other the next, what’s not to like? It’s a universal constant...
Bush
How’s that?
Arafat
Is nothing.
Rabin
I agree with Mr. Bush, dis ees a day to try to renew the fundamental bond between peoples, and look back only to help the future.
Arafat
(Thought strikes him and he slowly smiles.)
For some reason I recall feeling this way before I met my wife about a woman I once dated who moved around the political circles. She was a beautiful woman, Jewish background.
Rabin
(Surprised.) You would date an Israeli?
Arafat
I would, but she said she would not marry me. It was not because I was Palestinian. That was her father’s excuse. She said she couldn’t imagine growing old with me, I... She didn’t care for my looks.
Bush
Ouch.
Rabin
By any chance do you remember her name?
Arafat
Camile Goldenstein. Why do you ask?
Rabin
(Smirks.) I had a hunch. I dated the same woman.
Arafat & Bush
No.
Rabin
Yes. I think most everybody near the Mediterranean did. Eet turned out, she would not marry me, or anybody else in Israel either. She ended up marrying an Eastern Orthodox dentist. She was considered a disgrace to her parents, even though she did make it tru a concentration camp.
Bush
Now that’s beyond tough love.
Arafat
(Wincing, nods.) I agree.
Rabin
A woman like that reminds me of the old days... When I knew what I wanted. Perhaps you have something with your philosophy dere, Mr. Bush. I tink maybe age can cloud judgment a little. You remember 1948 Yasser?
Arafat
But of course. It was a great time to feel a part of what we truly believed in. To feel important among others, a founding point of leadership. That was one of the most exciting times of my early career.
Rabin
It was a war, of course it was exciting. All the noise, the constant stream of people around you... But it was different from now. People, individuals were more important. Life was a treasure.
But war should not really be glorified... (Reluctantly sighs.) It splits people apart as much as it brings them together.
Arafat
It’s true. And young people are also foolish and do stupid things because they think they will live through even the most frightening things.
Rabin
I agree with you dere. (Laughing.) Hoo boy... I remember going over to enemy camp and stealing towels and clothing from the showers.
Bush
(Cuts in.) That’s nothing. After a Yale-Princeton game, in the heat of the moment I helped pull down a goal post. You know how much one of those things cost to replace? It was a nightmare!
Arafat
(Completely serious.) You want a nightmare, I’ll tell you a nightmare. Israeli troops coming after you and your family in the middle of the night. Unless you are Jewish, there is no justice, only judgment. That’s what 1948 proved.
(Rabin starts choking Arafat again. Bush still reminiscing about college.)
Bush
I know that I didn’t quite have the same experience as either one of you, but being young can be...
(Arafat makes gagging noises, Bush notices)
Jumpin’ Jehosaphat’s! What the?!
Rabin
(Gasping.) You provoke more than you are worth!
Arafat
(Strained.) Yet you still choke me as I were a threat!
(Bush pulls the two apart again. Rabin throws punch at Bush, misses. Bush bum rushes him to chair. Arafat tries to grab for Rabin, Bush punches Arafat. Arafat falls back into a desk/chair.)
Arafat
So this is what you call American foreign policy?
Bush
It’s what’s called taking care of childish behavior.
Rabin
(Resigned.) He ees right. Dis sis what it all comes down to. Why do you tink talks get postponed for so long and bombing campaigns start?
Arafat
Like the one in September against innocent Palestinians-
Rabin
(Cuts Arafat off.)
Tempers flare up more easily dan they should. But de pressure is high. So many people are counting on us.
Bush
This is why you don’t crack under pressure. But if one does, you ask for help. Not tear the other apart. You made it this far, but if it was by negotiating this way, with feet in mouth, than I think your system of government needs a bigger overhaul than we originally thought.
Arafat
But your government is barely any better than what you have seen us do in here today. I look at images of McCarthism and shudder. I look at the Cold War and wonder about civilized systems of government. I look at how President Carter could barely try to talk with foreign leaders, and even though President Nixon was brilliant with foreign policy, at home he made a fool out of himself, no worse than what you have just seen. We may have our problems, we may do things that make women and small children gape in disbelief. But for a country that has prided itself in high morals, you just deny what is always there. America, you are no different than us.
Rabin
Welcome to politics.
(Bush uncomfortable and defensive, slightly fidgety.)
Rabin
(Relaxing.) So. What do you want to do with your title as the son of an American President? Do you want to go farther?
Arafat
Did you not try for a seat in Congress a while ago?
Bush
(Guardedly.) Yes...
Arafat
I only ask because of your enthusiasm. You have an amazing energy for which many possibilities could still be open to you.
Rabin
It takes a strong person to rise up out of conflict and break tru de noise of naysayers. Yet it also takes a wise man to listen when he would rather not. We say what we have said out of de prophecy of yesterday, but also so that for dose who wish to make it, will try harder.
Arafat
So. (To Bush.) Do you wish to stay in the game?
Bush
(Blinks.) I uh... I... I do believe in a better tomorrow, and I have thought of continuing to try for that spot as Governor of Texas.
Rabin
Wonderful!
Bush
Yeah... (Stronger.) Yeah. I guess I feel a little out of my league so far. I mean, I wanted to be in Congress, badly enough to go through loosing an election over it. I really enjoyed helping my dad back in ’88.
Arafat
Do you think you may ever try for a higher position?
Bush
Like?
Rabin
President?
Bush
(Smiles.) Who knows? The times we have now is changing...
Arafat
(Looks at watch.)
Yitzhak, your meeting. It was for 2 o’clock, correct?
Rabin
Oh. Right. I must go.
(Rabin and Arafat stand.)
Rabin
Good luck to you Mr. Bush, in life, and politics.
(Rabin starts to exit, Arafat coughs expectantly. Rabin turns enough to face Arafat.)
To you Arafat I say, maybe again sometime we shall try to make amends.
Arafat
I would be most grateful. You seem a good man, with a good... grip. (Strokes neck.)
Rabin
At least you know I am not wishy-washy. (Smiles, exit.)
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