Exodus Page #9

That is correct.

Now may I tell you something, Dov Landau?

At no time did the Jews use dynamite

in the Warsaw Ghetto.

They had no dynamite.

Do you remember better now?

Maybe.

So it was not possible for you to learn

the use of dynamite in the Warsaw Ghetto.

You learned about dynamite in Auschwitz...

...making mass graves to receive

the dead bodies of your people.

True?

Yes.

Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of them.

And you saved your own life

by working in that camp as a Sonderkommando.

- Correct?

- Yes.

It was the duty of those Jews

who became Sonderkommandos...

...to shave the heads of other Jews.

Yes.

To remove dead bodies from the gas chambers.

To collect gold fillings from their teeth.

Yes!

What could I do?

We take into consideration that you were

less than 13 when you entered Auschwitz.

Even so, we must have the truth.

Is there anything else?

Yes.

Then tell us.

No, I won't tell you.

Please, don't make me tell you.

Kill me. I don't care.

- I won't tell you.

- Tell us.

They used me.

They used me...

...like you use...

...a woman.

You will repeat for me the following words:

"I, Dov Landau...

I, Dov Landau...

"... do give my body, my brain,

my soul and my being...

...do give my body, my brain,

my soul and my being...

"... without reservation or qualification...

...without reservation or qualification...

"... to the freedom fighters of the Irgun.

...to the freedom fighters of the Irgun.

"Under torture, even unto death...

Under torture, even unto death...

"... I will never divulge the name

of a fellow member of the Irgun. "

...I will never divulge the name

of a fellow member of the Irgun.

- You wanted me?

- Yes.

So?

I've got to see Akiva. Where is he?

We tell Haganah where our leaders are hiding?

Forget Haganah. Akiva's my uncle.

And Barak Ben Canaan is your father.

We trust him as we trust the Grand Mufti.

- His son's different?

- Just tell Akiva and let him decide.

- I don't even know if he's in Jerusalem.

- So tell him anyway.

If I can find him,

where can I telephone you this evening?

I'll be here on the terrace from 7:00 on.

Do you like the view here?

Mr. Ben Canaan.

- Are we both eating alone?

- I am.

- Or I was. Won't you sit down?

- Thanks.

I know all the good things on that menu.

May I order for you?

- Would you like a drink?

- I had one at the consulate.

I had another one when I came to my room.

Have another one.

- Dry martini.

- Two very dry martinis.

Excuse me, sir.

I'll take the hors d'oeuvres, clear soup...

...fillet of sole...

...salad...

...and some of your very good Chablis.

We'll order dessert later.

Yes, sir.

What were you doing at the consulate today?

I've asked them to help me find Karen's father.

Yes, the girl. Please forget what I said...

...about getting hysterical

over the life of one child.

I didn't mean it.

I know you didn't.

What happens if you find out her father's dead?

Then I'll take her back to America with me.

If she likes it there, I may adopt her.

Won't your husband

have something to say about that?

My husband was killed a year ago...

...in a border skirmish

near the Sheikh Hussein bridge.

You mean, here in Palestine?

He was a news photographer

covering the Near East.

About the girl's father, if you like,

I can put some of our Haganah boys on it.

The British High Commissioner to Palestine.

Taken over the whole south wing of the hotel

in British general headquarters.

- Don't you feel uncomfortable here?

- I guess I'm as safe here as any place else.

Besides, I spent 14 months in prison.

Tell me about yourself.

Where do you come from?

I don't come from anywhere. I'm a sabra.

A native-born Palestinian.

My father was born in Russia.

He has a farm near Moshav Yad El.

- Do you like farms?

- I was raised on one.

I'd like to show you ours.

That'll be a little difficult.

I've rented a car and I'm driving

to Gan Dafna tomorrow to visit Karen.

That's only a few miles past Yad El.

I'm going up myself in the morning.

Do I know you well enough to ask you for a lift?

I think so.

- My name is Kitty.

- Ari.

Thank you.

I'll teach you a Hebrew toast. L'chaim!

I know it. To life.

Good for you.

A year's a long time in the life of a pretty woman.

Have you found another man?

- Nothing serious.

- Why not?

Many reasons.

One of them is that my husband's work

filled his whole life.

I presume that's good,

at least most men seem to think so.

But I feel a man who has nothing but his work

is only half a man.

And you want a whole one?

Exactly.

The other half of his life must be a woman.

What else?

What else?

Excuse me, sir. Telephone for you, call, please.

Excuse me. I'll be right back.

Come with me.

Now?

- I have to go back to the terrace. I want-

- You want to arrange to have us followed.

Let's go.

Ari.

Come in.

Sit down.

You must have some tea.

There's an extra glass around here somewhere.

You look better than ever, Uncle Akiva.

It's an active life.

You've been active yourself recently.

This Exodus business

shows in your heart you're really an Irgunist.

Two hundred pounds of dynamite?

Immediately,

the British draw proper conclusions.

Now, it's no accident

that brings you here tonight.

- May I speculate?

- Of course.

The Irgun has been blowing up

too many British installations.

We behave rudely to our British guests.

So the leading intellectuals of the Haganah,

after endless meetings and much debate...

...have at last reached a decision.

- Correct?

- It's close.

They say, "Send Ari Ben Canaan".

"The old criminal's getting soft in the head".

"He loves the boy.

Maybe Ari can stop his indelicate activities. "

- Also correct?

- Also.

But they want something more.

If the UN votes for Partition,

we'll have the Arab world on our backs.

Our only hope is an alliance

between Irgunand Haganah.

An alliance to fight? Of course.

The minute Haganah adopts our policy

of fighting instead of talking...

...an alliance between us becomes automatic.

You're not being fair.

When it comes to fighting,

Haganah has lost more lives than Irgun.

We fight to defend ourselves, or to capture

positions that we can occupy and hold.

When you attack it's just to spread terror.

Your duty is done.

You have given me the official line.

But what about you, Ari?

Forget Haganah for one moment,

and tell me what you think.

I think these bombings and these killings

hurt us with the United Nations.

A year ago we had the respect

of the whole world.

Now, when they read about us,

it's nothing but terror and violence.

It's not the first time this happens in history.

I don't know of one nation,

whether existing now or in the past...

...that was not born in violence.

Terror, violence, death.

They are the midwives

who bring free nations into this world.

Compromisers like the Haganah

produce only abortions.

Before you have a country,

you have to have people.

That's the job we've done.

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