| One of my favourite pieces of music is the Sex | | | | vent their aggression on other targets. I found |
| Pistols' classic 'Holidays in the Sun' - a song that | | | | myself swept up in this like a wave breaking over |
| begins with the line, 'a cheap holiday in other | | | | my head. One second I was walking towards my |
| people's misery'. This would have made a fitting | | | | bus. The next moment I was surrounded by a |
| epitaph for my holiday in Israel, except that the | | | | mob led by an angry rabbi, screaming at the top |
| $3000 air ticket meant that it wasn't exactly | | | | of his voice. 'Go home' was the only phrase I |
| cheap. | | | | could understand. Equally unambiguous though |
| I went to Israel full of apprehension. Just knowing | | | | were the rough hands that were being placed on |
| what we all know of the backdrop of paranoia | | | | my body, the kicks that were landing on my legs, |
| and pain that hangs over that land is enough to | | | | and the spittle that was accumulating on my face. |
| make anybody apprehensive, but I also went | | | | I didn't see any path of escape in this situation, so |
| carrying a dark secret - that I was a friend of | | | | I placed my hands together in a position of prayer |
| Mordechai Vanunu's, and I was nervous about the | | | | and bowed my head, working on the hitherto |
| reaction I'd get should this truth suddenly become | | | | successful strategy that if you refuse to fight |
| public. | | | | back, guys are generally very reluctant to beat |
| My friend Morde was completing an 18-year | | | | you up. It worked. A man grabbed me from |
| prison sentence for doing something that most | | | | behind with both hands and hauled me out of the |
| people in this country consider heroic. Morde told | | | | centre of the mob. I made it back to my bus |
| the world about a secret stash of WMD's | | | | without further incident. |
| ('weapons of mass destruction') that are being | | | | All of this would have been water off a duck's |
| developed in an underground factory in the Negev | | | | back had Morde and I then been able to board a |
| desert. Most people I know think he did the world | | | | plane and fly back to Australia. |
| an enormous favour, but most people in his own | | | | Unfortunately the authorities had ruled that this |
| country wish Morde had kept his mouth shut. | | | | 'free' man should not be allowed to leave the |
| Indeed, most Israelis regard him as a traitor! | | | | country, nor go anywhere near a border or a |
| In order to try to understand this attitude | | | | foreign embassy, nor have any contact with |
| towards my friend, I tried talking to local people | | | | 'foreigners'. The 'foreigner' restriction was aimed |
| about their attitude to nuclear weapons. The | | | | at the foreign press. Even so, technically, I wasn't |
| response I received was alarming! "They're only | | | | allowed to spend extensive time with my old |
| there as our last resort" one articulate young | | | | friend without risking seeing him re-arrested! |
| journalist said to me. "Just in case we get | | | | We were reunited briefly on the evening of that |
| completely overrun." "Well ... what happens then?" | | | | same day of his release. Unfortunately I cried so |
| I asked. "Well", he said, "then we destroy | | | | much that I really didn't get the chance to tell him |
| everybody!" | | | | all of the things that I had prepared for that |
| Tragically, this was not an isolated example. | | | | moment. All I can hope for now is that one-day |
| Almost every time I sought an opinion from | | | | we will catch up properly - perhaps over a few |
| taxi-drivers, cafe workers or hostel staff | | | | beers back here in the land of Oz. I know that |
| concerning Israel's nuclear capacity, the word | | | | Morde would like that. |
| 'Armageddon' would come up. And these | | | | Getting Morde out of Israel is indeed the next big |
| apologists seemed quite accepting of the fact | | | | challenge for the Vanunu campaign. I don't know |
| that in order to strike this decisive blow against | | | | how hard this will prove to be. I do know that I |
| their neighbours, they might indeed need to take | | | | had a bloody hard time getting out myself. In my |
| the rest of the planet with them! | | | | case it wasn't that they didn't want me out (they |
| Thankfully not every Israeli took this position. | | | | held off the departure of the plane until I got on |
| Indeed, the 'Free Vanunu' campaign itself had a | | | | board). They just seemed determined to let me |
| strong local contingent of active peace | | | | know that they didn't want me back. |
| campaigners. | | | | I had been warned by the other peace activists |
| These local activists were some of the most | | | | of intimidation tactics employed by airport staff. |
| impressive people I met during my stay in Israel. | | | | Ironically, I initially made it through all four security |
| Even in Australia they would have been | | | | checkpoints without being stopped. It was only as |
| impressive - mainly young, idealistic University | | | | I proceeded to the final gate that a young man in |
| students, with a commitment to world peace and | | | | a suit caught up with me and said, "Excuse me sir, |
| global disarmament - impressive but not | | | | but can I see your passport." He then told me |
| extraordinary in our context. In this context | | | | that there had been a 'problem' and that he would |
| though, growing up in an environment so | | | | need to retain my passport until the 'problem' had |
| overshadowed by violence and fear, these brave | | | | been resolved. I was then shuffled into a small |
| young souls stood out like shining lights. | | | | room to begin a three-hour process of |
| The violent side of Israeli culture was never more | | | | interrogation, body searching and luggage |
| tangible to me than it was on the day of Morde's | | | | examination. |
| release. I had traveled many thousands of miles | | | | In the end the verdict was that I was free to go |
| to be reunited with my friend on the day that he | | | | and that there was nothing suspect about the |
| walked free. In my dreams I had imagined our | | | | contents of my bags, but that the bags |
| reunion countless times. Morde would walk through | | | | themselves were suspect and that none of them |
| those gates with his belongings in one hand, and | | | | could be taken on board as hand luggage. This |
| me and a few friends and family would be there | | | | meant that I could carry with me my camera, |
| to embrace him and lead him away. I didn't really | | | | but not in my camera case, my laptop, but not |
| realise until I reached the prison just how far | | | | my laptop case, my video camera, but not the |
| from reality my imaginary depiction of that scene | | | | bag with the shoulder strap that I lugged it around |
| would prove to be. | | | | in, my toothbrush and paste, but not my toiletries |
| There were hundreds of us at the prison, and the | | | | bag, and even my Palm-pilot portable keyboard, |
| vast majority were not Morde's friends. As the | | | | but not the little vinyl dust-jacket that I kept it in. |
| time of his release drew near, I tried to move | | | | I could take what I liked, so long as I carried it in |
| towards the prison gate where I had always | | | | my arms. |
| imagined myself standing as Morde walked out. I | | | | It was just a game, though they managed to |
| soon found myself squeezed into the middle of an | | | | keep straight faces throughout the whole ordeal. |
| angry mob. | | | | For my part I refused to get on board without |
| It was certainly one of the nastiest experiences | | | | the bulk of my carry-on items. In the end they |
| of my life. The whole mass of men seemed to | | | | agreed to give me a large cardboard box to put |
| seethe with aggression, and each individual was | | | | them in. |
| competing to claw his way to the front, for what | | | | And so my cheap holiday in other people's misery |
| exact purpose was not entirely clear. Thankfully I | | | | came to an end. But now the real work begins. |
| could not understand the chants that were being | | | | For I returned home, but I left my friend inside |
| sung to the tune of 'here we go, here we go, | | | | the confines of St George's Cathedral in |
| here we go', but I was told later that the words | | | | Jerusalem, where the good bishop has offered |
| for 'death' and 'traitor' had been central to all the | | | | him sanctuary. |
| mantras that were chanted that day. | | | | Morde can't leave the Cathedral grounds. He has |
| On reflection I now think that it was a good thing | | | | at least two reporters on every exit, taking shifts |
| that by the time Morde came through those | | | | to cover his movements 24-hours per day. If |
| prison gates the police had packed us together so | | | | Morde tries to walk out into the street, he'll be |
| tightly that I wasn't able to move a limb. What | | | | immediately surrounded and identified, and given |
| prevented me from running out to embrace | | | | the number of locals that would count it as a |
| Morde also prevented my neighbours from | | | | point of pride to be responsible for his death, |
| reaching him with more sinister intent. | | | | Morde's life in the open probably wouldn't last |
| Thankfully the car with my friend in it got away | | | | more than a few minutes. |
| with no more than a dented panel and a shower | | | | I'd like to see my friend back here in Australia. I |
| of eggs. One antagonist did manage to mount his | | | | wonder if the Australian government has the |
| motorbike in time to catch the car, but after | | | | courage to offer him citizenship? |
| slamming into the side of the vehicle he lost his | | | | Rev. David B. Smith (The 'Fighting Father') |
| mount, and the 'free man' was able to proceed in | | | | Parish priest, community worker, |
| peace. | | | | Martial arts master, pro boxer, author, father of |
| Back at the gaol things then started to unravel. | | | | three |
| With their anger unresolved, the mob started to | | | | Rev. David B. |