Norman Page #9

ALEX:
It's okay. Come.

NORMAN:
(BREATHING RAGGEDLY)

They told me not to meet with you.

ALEX:
Who?

NORMAN:
The Prime Minister's office. Duby.

I don't want to upset them.

He'll know I was here. I don't...

It was a mistake.

No, please. I respect you very much.

I'm sorry. I apologize.

I shouldn't have called you.

ALEX:
No. It's good that you called.

I'm glad you're here.

Norman, I want this conversation

to be as straightforward

and honest as possible.

Do you think you can do that?

I spent the past few months

trying to know more about you.

Where you come from, what you do,

who your friends are, your family.

Your financial situation.

And what I've discovered is very strange.

Everybody seems to know who you are.

But nobody knows anything about you.

Even people

who say they have known you for years.

For instance, nobody knows where you live.

I was able to confirm that

you inherited a small amount of money

from your mother,

and that she left you

her rent-controlled apartment after she died.

But I wasn't able to

verify that you have a daughter

or that you were ever married.

Were you?

Do you have a daughter?

NORMAN:
Why are you

gathering this information about me?

ALEX:
Because you've been unusually generous

toward the Prime Minister of Israel

and have created

an intricate network of people

who benefit from the access you provide.

The relationship you've established

with the Prime Minister of Israel

is illegal.

I think it is corrupt.

(INAUDIBLE)

The unnamed New York businessman...

You are that man, Norman.

You are our witness.

(SCOFFS) No, I'm not.

We can subpoena you. You have no choice.

I'm going to go now. I'm sorry, but, I'm...

Wait. You need to hear what I have to say.

We're arranging

for an early deposition for you tomorrow.

I can't force you to stay here now.

But here is your official notice.

(SIGHS)

If you testify and speak truthfully

about everything that you've experienced,

we can protect you from self-incrimination.

It will be about him. Not about you.

But what is Eshel going to do?

What will he do to me?

They will try to

persuade the court and the public

that you are an unreliable witness.

That will most likely be their defense.

(BREATHES DEEPLY)

I'm sorry.

(DUBY AND ESHEL SPEAKING IN HEBREW)

Right now...

...few people know who Norman Oppenheimer is.

We have an opportunity to brand him.

...to disqualify him as a witness

...portray him as a crook

...and paint the Prime Minister

as an innocent victim.

How am I a victim?

We have all the power, Duby.

Never say that. It is not true.

You are Mr. Peace right now.

The press will be on your side.

Nobody wants to see our peace efforts

go down the drain...

...because of some shady Jewish macher.

We need to portray him

as a delusional name-dropper...

...who has been sucking your blood for years.

You need to say this clearly.

It's necessary. And it's true.

There must be another way.

Norman is a friend. A very generous friend.

I won't hurt him.

It is not personal.

It's bigger than

the pain felt by one individual.

He's a threat to our national interests.

Our personal feelings aside...

...we must treat him like

any other strategic threat.

I took your advice.

I didn't go to the meeting.

I'm stepping back, like you said.

I'm proud of you. Good move.

Are you there, Norman?

I'm here.

You okay?

I'm a good swimmer, Philip.

Don't worry.

As long as my head's above water...

You are a good swimmer.

(CHUCKLES) That's for sure.

Look, I wish I could've

been more helpful but...

- You know, I...

- You've been a very big help, Philip.

Thank you. I appreciate it.

I love you.

Excuse me. Can I help you?

Rabbi!

You!

(SCOFFS)

What are you doing?

I need to talk to you.

No, you need to sign those escrow papers,

that's what you need.

Do you realize

we're going to lose all our pledges?

Not to mention this building, and my job!

Norman, why haven't you

returned my phone calls?

Oh, f***!

- I'm working on it.

- F***!

I should've known not to trust you!

What am I going to do now?

Was there ever a donor? At any point?

Yeah, but I thought I had someone.

I still might have them, I just...

It's not a sure thing.

Then why would you tell us you had a donor?

Why? Why would you do that?

(CELL PHONE RINGING)

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(EXHALES)

(LINE RINGING)

Is that you, Norman?

Norman, are you there?

Is it safe for us to talk?

It probably isn't.

But there's something I need to tell you

before the lawyers

and the PR people take over.

And I'm speaking to you now as Micha Eshel,

not as the Prime Minister of Israel.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for what is about to happen to you.

In the next couple of days,

you're going to hear me say things

that I don't really believe.

Things about you.

And it will hurt. It will hurt both of us.

But the only reason

I will be saying these things

is because there are

hundreds of thousands of lives at stake.

The enemies of peace

have decided to step all over you

on their way to behead me.

It is a terrible price to pay.

But, Norman,

I can't let them win.

We can't let them win.

History is full of anonymous heroes, Norman.

The day I walk up to that podium

to sign the peace treaty,

you will see

a very specific expression on my face.

Know that I will be thinking of you...

Norman Oppenheimer.

Do you accept my apology, Norman?

Do you forgive me?

I will never betray you.

I love you, Norman.

Thank you.

NORMAN:
Good morning, Bill.

Oh...

Why do you do this?

Why can't anything ever be simple with you?

Who says simple is good?

I have a business opportunity for Jo.

He's going to like this.

No. No, you don't.

Whatever it is, it's too small.

Norman.

Wait.

I'm listening out of respect to my father.

You knew him, didn't you?

All right. What have you got?

If you knew with 100 percent certainty

that the witness who is

trying to topple down Prime Minister Eshel

will never testify,

would you know

how to make money with that information?

Well, it depends on

where and how I got that information

and if I can verify it.

You realize

you're not a very reliable source, right?

You put me in a room with Jo Wilf.

I'll give him all the certainty he needs.

Think about it. Go ahead. Think about it.

Run the numbers, do the whole thing.

You have until 8:00 a.m. to call me back.

- After that, I'm going to Arthur Taub.

- (EXHALES SHARPLY)

What's your fee?

(EXHALES)

BLUMENTHAL:
Philip. Nicole.

At times like this,

when we're aware of our blessings,

we also know that the world

is in desperate need of repair.

Tradition explains

the act of breaking the glass

reminds us to turn our hearts

towards the city of Jerusalem.

In which the ultimate peace

shall be granted to the world.

- Mazel tov!

- (APPLAUSE)

- Hi.

- Hi.

Thank you.

Welcome to Harvard, David Eshel.

Thank you. Happy to be here.

REPORTER:
As we turn to

the economic implications

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote