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