Episode Summary:
A fact-finding tour to the hotly disputed Gaza Strip includes Donna (Janel Moloney), Admiral Fitzwallace (John Amos) and a few congressmen as they sort through the thicket of rival issues between the Palestinians and Israelis — but the killing fields soon claim some of the delegation when a deadly bomb shatters their vehicle and has the President (Martin Sheen) considering targets for military action. In flashbacks, Donna is attracted to a dashing British photojournalist (Jason Isaacs) who opens her eyes to his graphic world of recording mankin’s most heinous acts of violence.
Script:
THE WEST WING 5X21 - "GAZA" WRITTEN BY PETER NOAH DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER MISIANO TRANSCRIBED BY SOUNDMAN FOR TWIZ TV.COM SEND FEEDBACK TO [email protected]. ========================== DISCLAIMER: ========================== "THE WEST WING" and other related entities are owned, (TM) and (c) by Aaron Sorkin, John Wells Productions, Warner Brothers Television in association with NBC. All Rights Reserved. This transcript is posted here without their permission, approval, authorization or endorsement. Any reproduction, duplication, distribution or display of this material in any form or by any means is expressly prohibited. It is absolutely forbidden to use it for commercial gain. For Entertainment and Educational purposes only. No infringement intended. ========================== TRANSCRIPT: ========================== TEASER FADE IN: EXT. - GAZA - DAY EREZ CHECKPOINT We open on a shot of a young man kicking a soccer ball. We then pan around to see shots of the checkpoint. We move through the market place and see many people moving around and many voices and sounds. We then focus on Andy and Fitzwallace walking to the cars. ANDY Four days, and I'm still not adjusted. 2:00 a.m., staring at the ceiling. FITZWALLACE Those briefing books should put you right out. ANDY Good idea. I should get somebody to hit me over the head with one. CONGRESSMAN KORB They're a displaced population. CONGRESSMAN DESANTOS Displaced?! The Palestinians moved what, 15, 20 miles? Did you ever move? I grew up in Dayton. KORB They're still refugees. FITZWALLACE You know, after 50 years, one option might be to get over it. We see Donna walk up. DONNA Feels even hotter today. Is that possible? ANDY You enjoy your break? DONNA Wasn't what you think. MAN Let's go folks, we're moving out. DONNA Black cars? Good choice for this climate. FITZWALLACE Everybody's this angry now, what must it have been like before air conditioning? He laughs as he gets in the car. We see a photojournalist snap several pictures of Donna as she is getting into the suburban. The car takes off and she rolls up her window as they do. CUT TO: INT. - SUBURBAN - DAY FITZWALLACE Yeah, travel, learn about cultures, meet new friends. What do photographers say now that the old "Come up and see my darkroom" line has gone the way of the dodo? DONNA They offer their high-speed... An explosion takes place right outside the window where Donna is sitting. The suburban is thrown several feet into the air and lands up-side down with the rear wheels spinning. We see the other cars quickly turn to get back to the crashed suburban. We see weapon-carrying guards begin sprinting to the crash site. The photojournalist from before takes off running and soon outstrips the guards on his way to the car. When he gets there, another guard holds him back from the car. He begins to take photos of the car, including Donna, who we see through her window. She is upside down, unconscious, and bleeding in several spots. We see a look of worry on his face as he sees Donna the way she is. SMASH CUT TO: MAIN TITLES. END TEASER. * * * ACT ONE FADE IN: INT. - AIRPLANE - NIGHT We see the many people on the airplane as we see Josh sitting in his seat. CUT TO: INT. - HALLWAY - WHITE HOUSE - DAY We see Toby and Josh walking down the hallway and they are talking. TOBY You hear from Donna? JOSH Yeah, I get these daily, interminable e-mails that I have no time to read. Donna doesn't seem to have mastered pith. TOBY Le mot juste. JOSH Donna's style is more like le mots 'mo. You hear from Andy? TOBY Concision's not her problem. Everyday the same three little words: "See your children." Before e-mail it was a lot harder for your ex-wife to hock you from 6,000 miles away. JOSH Are the kids with Andy's mom? TOBY The very definition of an approach-avoidance situation. He walks into the Communication Office. C.J. is waiting for him. C.J. Say you're from Minnesota. TOBY I'm from Minnesota. C.J. No, we're pretending you're from there. TOBY We're not, actually. C.J. And you'd like prescription drugs from Canada. TOBY What do I have? C.J. Not important. TOBY It could be clouding my judgment. C.J. You're no fun anymore. TOBY I'm having fun. C.J. Minnesota just set up an official state web site linked to Canadian pharmacies for the importation of cheap drugs in violation of federal law. TOBY We're no longer pretending? C.J. I'm getting calls wondering why the administration's not interested in enforcing this ban. Curiosity as to what other federal statutes the White House is planning to simply ignore. TOBY Shouldn't somebody be applauding our bold affirmation for states' rights? C.J. Is that what we're doing? TOBY Not really. C.J. We need a policy. Hoping no one would notice seems to have run its course. TOBY I'll get into it. C.J. Thanks. TOBY Right after I check on how the Timberwolves and Twins fared last night. C.J. Bit's over. TOBY Ok. CUT TO: INT. - LEO'S OFFICE - DAY Will comes into Leo's office from Margaret's. WILL Leo, you got a minute? LEO Just. WILL The Vice President attended a fundraiser in Manhattan last night. LEO Heard he did well. WILL Try to keep the amazement out of your voice. LEO Think I was trying to pay you a compliment. WILL He got questioned about this Mideast trip. LEO It's a CODEL - has nothing to do with administration policy. WILL They wanted to know whether the White House was contemplating active re-engagement in the peace process. LEO It's a tar baby. Sisyphus. Hijacks your entire agenda, lands everyone back where they started, only angrier, if that's possible. CUT TO: INT. - PLANE - NIGHT Josh is sitting at his seat and he has his laptop open on his lap. He opens an e-mail from Donna and we here her voice narrating. DONNA [VO] Josh, Arrived, Gaza. Couldn't even unpack. By the way, still no comprehension of the money. Probably criminally under- or over-tipping the entire Palestinian service sector. Will either be run out on a rail or given a parade upon leaving. CUT TO: EXT. - GAZA - DAY We see a shot of the area and we still hear Donna narrating. DONNA [VO][cont.] We were immediately whisked down to a meeting with the Fatah leaders. CUT TO: INT. - MEETING ROOM - GAZA - DAY We see many people sitting around a table and they are talking. Donna can still be heard narrating. DONNA [VO][cont.] If that sounds fascinating, then you've gotten more out of the description than the experience, I promise you. Turns out Palestinian politicians are just as coma inducing as our domestic variety. MAN #1 These incursions are designed as provocations. Tanks roll in. This naturally excites resistance, which then is used as a pretext for armed assault. ANDY But you'd agree that the Israeli army doesn't set out to target these innocents. MAN #2 No, I do not agree. FITZWALLACE As opposed to Palestinian suicide bombers on buses and pizza parlors. We focus on Donna who is taking notes of the meeting. A man, the photojournalist from the opening sequence, named COLIN AYRES, comes and sits next to Donna. COLIN "Same old story, same old song and dance," eh. DONNA Don't expect to meet many Aerosmith fans in Gaza. COLIN Colin Ayres. Photojournalist. DONNA The cameras were a big hint. FITZWALLACE 400 Fatah members recently resigned in protest over alleged financial abuses and corruption in your leadership. MAN #1 This is not what we must discuss. 60% of Gaza live below the poverty line. MAN #2 Gaza is a open-air Palestinian prison. COLIN You'll never understand anything about Gaza by listening to the politicians. DONNA Or with you distracting me. COLIN Fair enough. Hey, I'll let you listen in peace if you meet me in the bar when this ends. DONNA I don't know how long... COLIN I'll wait. CUT TO: INT. - BAR - GAZA - DAY We see Donna walk in and over to the bar where Colin is sitting. COLIN Hi. DONNA Hi. COLIN What would you like? DONNA Uh, juice, please. COLIN (speaks Arabic) They sit. COLIN Among the tribulations in Gaza: the inability to get a proper pint. So, what's your pleasure when you're not being subjugated by fundamentalists? DONNA "Rusty Nail." Old-fashioned girl. COLIN Alluring. DONNA My dad's drink. Still enchanted? COLIN Less. DONNA So, is this your routine? Scout the new arrivals and make for the nearest blonde? COLIN Mm-hmm. Well, not always blonde. DONNA What's wrong with attending conferences? COLIN You're fact-finding. Why is that? I mean, there's more to understand in Gaza than facts. The bartender sets their drinks down. COLIN Cheers. To an old-fashioned girl. Donna laughs. COLIN What? DONNA I'm sorry, that was just really cheesy. I'd hate to see you blow the whole dashing, mysterioso, foreign correspondent thing. COLIN Thanks very much. DONNA So show me. COLIN What? DONNA The real Gaza. COLIN See what I was hoping... DONNA I know what you were hoping. So when do we start? CUT TO: INT. - PLANE - NIGHT Josh is still sitting at his computer. We hear Donna begin narrating again. DONNA [VO] When you get out of the hotel meeting rooms and into the streets, what hits you about Gaza isn't the overcrowding or poverty. CUT TO: EXT. - STOREFRONT - GAZA - DAY We see a cab pull up and stop outside the storefront area. Colin and Donna get out. Donna finishes narrating the portion of the letter. DONNA [VO][cont.] You've been briefed about that. What strikes you is something else: idleness. The sense of the people waiting but with no expectation. It's hard to convey. COLIN Ashraf! ASHRAF Colin! COLIN ASHRAF COLIN DONNA ASHRAF COLIN ASHRAF COLIN ASHRAF DONNA COLIN DONNA COLIN ASHRAF MAN (speaks Arabic) ASHRAF DONNA ASHRAF COLIN ASHRAF MAN (speaks Arabic) ASHRAF (speaks Arabic) CUT TO: INT. - PLANE - NIGHT Josh is reading from his laptop. Donna is narrating the letter. DONNA [VO] When it's open, 19,000 Palestinians pass through the Erez Checkpoint to work jobs in Israel. Fact. More later. CUT TO: INT. - JOSH'S BULLPEN AREA - DAY 8:17 AM DAY OF THE EXPLOSION Josh is talking to Kate. As they talk they walk into Josh's office. JOSH We're not cutting cotton subsidies. We just went through a whole trade thing. I'm not reopening that exploding can of worms. Since when is this under the purview of the NSC? HARPER Maybe since heroin traffic started spiking in Europe. JOSH I'm about to come down with Globalization Headache Number Five, aren't I? HARPER When Afghan farmers can't afford to grow cotton, when they can't compete in their own market with cheap U.S. textiles produced from subsidized crops, they plant something else. JOSH Poppies. HARPER Fields and fields. Like someone colorized Nebraska. JOSH Well, maybe we should subsidize poppies. Josh looks out into the hallway and notices that several people are rushing around. Kate's beeper goes off and then Josh's goes off. JOSH Hang on. He walks out into the hall. C.J. comes up to him. JOSH What's up? C.J. Explosion in Gaza; the CODEL. Some fatalities. JOSH Donna? C.J. It just happened. That's all I know. Toby walks in from the lobby and we see concern on his face. FADE OUT. END ACT ONE. * * * ACT TWO FADE IN: INT. - JOSH'S BULLPEN AREA - DAY Several people are on the phone including C.J., Carol, and Josh. CAROL MSNBC's got it! C.J. I'm holding. I've been holding... Carol? CAROL I keep getting cut off. C.J. Try his cell phone directly. CAROL I'm trying. C.J. Not through the switchboard. CAROL I'm calling his cell phone in Gaza directly. And getting cut off. Will walks up to C.J. C.J. Yep. WILL Do we know anything? C.J. We're trying the on-scene field producers' cell phones, but getting cut off. WILL Probably a little busy right now. C.J. Well, they could answer their phones... or not. WILL Donna, Andy...? C.J. We don't know anything yet. Carol? CAROL No one's getting through. Toby's cell phone rings. He answers it. TOBY Hello. ... Andy? How are you? Are you okay? [to room] She's... she's all right. She was in the other car and she's all right. C.J. Oh, my God! I see her! TOBY Where? C.J. On the right... on the cell phone. Right there. TOBY We can see you on TV, on the monitor. She waves into the camera and Toby almost waves back. JOSH How's Donna? TOBY Two Congressmen confirmed dead. Korb and DeSantos. JOSH What about Donna? TOBY What about Donna? ... [to Josh] She was in the car that... Andy saw people put in ambulances. That's all she knows. [into phone] Yeah. I'm just glad that you're okay. I mean... just come home, will you? Just get the hell out of there and come home. CUT TO: INT. - LEO'S OFFICE - DAY Leo is sitting at his desk. Kate is standing, and Leo looks as though Kate has just told him some bad news. He gets up and they walk into the Oval Office. Bartlet and Charlie come in from the portico. LEO Mr. President... HARPER Three dead, so far. Congressmen Desantos and Korb... BARTLET Oh, God... LEO And we just got word... Admiral Fitzwallace. HARPER There are others injured. They've been taken to area hospitals. CHARLIE Sir, I'll get the phone numbers of the Congressmen's families. Charlie leaves. Kate leaves with him. BARTLET I asked Fitz to go. CUT TO: INT. - HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT Donna is sitting at a computer and is typing the letter to Josh. We hear her voice narrating. DONNA [VO] Getting in and out of the Israeli settlement of Kfar Durom requires a military escort. 500 mortar shells have landed there in the last three years. During out pre-dinner break, I met an Israeli settler family. Two days before, a mortar round had exploded in their kitchen. CUT TO: EXT. - HOME - GAZA - DAY Donna and Colin are talking with a man and a woman. WOMAN It came through the roof. MAN One half hour later, my wife would have been giving breakfast to our children. WOMAN Four others have fallen around the house. COLIN See, when the Palestinians get a hit, what they do is secure the launchers, and that way they can make sure and repeat the strike. DONNA You must live in constant fear. WOMAN Our soldiers will find the mortar. MAN You replace the tile roof with concrete and pray. DONNA In Israel there's talk of giving up these settlements. WOMAN God wants us in this place. It is our divine, moral obligation to be here. MAN If we give in to the Arabs, they'll take more and more, and eventually we'll all end up in Tel Aviv. WOMAN And then they'll take that. DONNA All of this... it doesn't make you want to leave? MAN This is the more safe environment. WOMAN In Jerusalem, when you see an Arab, you don't know. Here, if you see one, you know he's dangerous, and you shoot him. She walks off. MAN Please, excuse us. CUT TO: INT. - JOSH'S OFFICE - DAY Josh is on the phone. JOSH Moss, Moss. Donnatella Moss. Tall, blonde. Do you have any idea of her condition, where she was taken? I understand. Is there anyone there... Yeah, this is Josh Lyman calling from the White House. The White House. Yes, where the President lives. I'm looking for information on one of the U.S. bombing victims. CUT TO: INT. - TOBY'S OFFICE - DAY Toby is on the phone. Will comes to the door. TOBY Are you kidding? Do you know the term "decent interval"? Go away. Toby hangs up the phone. TOBY Magley from the DNC, wants to talk about who to run for the two vacant House seats. WILL You're joking. TOBY They're still picking up pieces of these guys over there, he's talking about DeSantos' poachable district. WILL What's he calling you for? TOBY He thought Josh'd be upset about Donna being in the car. I guess he figured since my ex-wife was only almost blown up that I'd be only almost upset. WILL We're getting calls from AIPAC. TOBY Every ten minutes. Them and every other pro-Israel lobby. Half of them trying not to sound happy it happened, the rest trying to avoid saying "I told you so." WILL President giving an address? TOBY Tonight. WILL The Vice President would like to see an advance copy. TOBY To check my spelling, correct errors in syntax? Noted grammarian that he is. WILL It's an important speech. TOBY You're worried about the politics. You're worse than that clown from the DNC. WILL It's a major address about a national tragedy. The Vice President has an understandable interest in the content. And yes, there's interest in the political ramifications. That's what we all do for a living. TOBY Actually, some of us are trying to govern. WILL A heads-up. It's really not so much to ask. TOBY I'm polishing right up until air. WILL I'm glad Andy's okay. TOBY I wonder who they would have called had she been one of the ones killed. WILL Yeah. CUT TO: INT. - BASEMENT - SITUATION ROOM DOOR - DAY We see an officer open the door to the Situation Room. Bartlet and Leo walk in and sit down. There are several people around the table, including Hutchinson, Barrow, Kate, Alexander, and Sliger. BARTLET What do we know? ALEXANDER Road-side bomb detonated by cell phone. HUTCHINSON They knew they were targeting Americans. The black suburbans are well known in the region. SLIGER Up till now, that's been advantageous. BARROW U.S. government officials have long been off-limits to Palestinian terror groups. BARTLET That seems to have changed. HARPER What's striking, sir, is no claim of responsibility. LEO It's early yet. HARPER They usually can't take credit fast enough. Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad... they've all rushed to announce they had nothing to do with this. HUTCHINSON They don't want to wake up to a cruise missile for breakfast. BARTLET What are we doing? BARROW State is in touch with the Palestinian Authority. LEO The President meant things that aren't a waste of our time. HARPER An FBI Investigative Team is en route. SLIGER Langley is coordinating with Mossad and Israeli military intelligence in gathering information. ALEXANDER And then compiling a list of possible targets for retaliation. BARTLET Are there any? We can't just go and flatten some refugee camp. HUTCHINSON That's what we're trying to determine, sir. LEO Mr. President, the Palestinian Chairman's on the phone. BARTLET I'll bet he is. In here. AIDE Yes, sir. The aide positions the phone so that Bartlet can speak and opens the line with PALESTINIAN CHAIRMAN FARAD on it. AIDE You're on with the Chairman, sir. BARTLET Chairman Farad. PALESTIAN CHAIRMAN FARAD Mr. President, I want to convey my most profoundest and sincere sympathies over this terrible... BARTLET Murder, Mr. Chairman. FARAD Yes, terrible. A criminal act. BARTLET The assassination of U.S. government officials - an act of war, some would say. FARAD The Palestinian Authority condemns this attack in the strongest terms. All Palestinians condemn it. BARTLET Not the perpetrators, Mr. Chairman. FARAD They will be hunted down and made to suffer the maximum punishment. Swift and harsh. BARTLET Do you know who they are? FARAD Criminals. Traitors. Mr. President, you must believe, no organized group would do this. All understand that to target Americans would be catastrophic to the Palestinian cause. BARTLET In this, Mr. Chairman, they are entirely correct. FARAD Again, Mr. President, my heartfelt condolences on this most barbaric act. He hangs up. LEO Condolences? SLIGER Let's see what he has to say about it in Arabic for domestic consumption. HUTCHINSON He knows who did it. BARROW I'm sure that's what the Israelis will say. HUTCHINSON They've lived thirty years with this guy's track record. HARPER The Chairman's control over Gaza is not absolute. Hamas has a strong powerbase there. LEO Sir...? Bartlet stands. Everyone else does too. BARTLET I'd like to observe a moment of silence in commemoration of those dedicated individuals who gave their lives in the service of their country this day. They bow their heads in silence. Bartlet knocks once on the table before speaking. BARTLET General, prepare contingency plans for retaliatory military action against Palestinian terror targets, including the Chairman's headquarters. He leaves. We see him walk out into the basement. FADE OUT. END ACT TWO. * * * ACT THREE FADE IN: INT. - MARGARET'S OFFICE - DAY Leo comes up to Margaret's desk and begins looking for some files. While he is, Kate comes up and speaks to him. HARPER Leo. You wanted to see me? They walk into his office. LEO Yeah, listen. With Nancy McNally out of the country, you're going to have to be our go-to... I was gonna say "guy". The problem with English: "guy" is wrong, "gal" is patronizing, and "person" sounds arch. HARPER "Go-to-guy" is fine. LEO Good, 'cause you're it. Which is a lot to throw at you weeks into the job. I want you to know you have my and the President's full support. HARPER I appreciate your confidence. LEO We'll need you to coordinate all the intelligence agencies, including the CIA and CIA. You may have heard: they don't play nicely together. HARPER Well, boys will be boys. LEO And don't be afraid to knock heads together. We don't want petty turf wars slowing down the intel. HARPER I'll keep on 'em. LEO You run into resistance, you let me know. HARPER I hope that won't be necessary. LEO Another thing: the President's not crazy about the DCI. It's chemical; just rubs him the wrong way. HARPER Okay. LEO This isn't gossip; it's guidance. If the CIA's got something, the Director's not always the most effective vessel for communicating it. HARPER I'll make sure to underline anything I think is significant. LEO We just need you to be all over this. State, Defense. You're the White House point... person. HARPER I won't let you down. Oh, and on that whole language score: I was in the military. I "manned" battleships, was "one of the boys," occasionally was exhorted to "drop my ...," you know, and "grab my socks." I've made my peace with the colloquial. LEO Okay. HARPER Just between us girls. Thanks, Leo. She leaves. CUT TO: INT. - PRESS BRIEFING ROOM - DAY C.J. is standing at the podium and all the reporters are madly clamoring for C.J.'s attention. C.J. Still just the three confirmed. REPORTER Was it a suicide bomber? C.J. It was not a suicide attack. I've already... no claims of... Hey! Is this working for you? Now if you'll ask your questions one at a time like - oh, I don't know - every other time we've done this the past five years maybe you'll come away from this with something to write and maybe I'll still be speaking to one or two of you when I climb down from here. Yes, Katie. KATIE Is the administration considering military action in response to today's attack? C.J. The immediate focus is on gathering information on who might have been responsible and bringing them to justice. KATIE Will the U.S. ask the Israelis to carry out any military retaliation? C.J. We're strongly urging Israel and the Palestinian Authority to refrain from doing anything to further enflame tensions in the region. Steve. STEVE Will the administration now actively seek the removal of Palestinian Chairman Farad, and on the other hand, press for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza? C.J. If you're asking if today's tragic events wil have an effect on U.S. policy in the region, I think it's safe to assume that question will generate serious and substantial discussion in the coming days, weeks and months. Gordon. GORDON Does the White House have a comment about today's FDA warning on safety violations at Canadian internet pharmacies? C.J. What? CUT TO: INT. - JOSH'S OFFICE - DAY Josh is on the phone with Donna's parents. JOSH I haven't been able to get exact information on her injuries, but they have gotten her stabilized, which sounds encouraging. I'm sorry I don't have more, but I didn't want you and Mr. Moss to have to wait any longer to hear something. CUT TO: INT. - OVAL OFFICE - DAY Bartlet is at his desk and he is on the phone with Congressman Korb's widow. Charlie is standing in front of the desk. BARTLET Well, the thoughts and prayers of a grateful nation are with you and your family at this time. Not at all, Mrs. Korb. Goodbye. He hangs the phone up. BARTLET Charlie, when your mother was killed, you got one of these calls. CHARLIE Yes, sir. Her captain. BARTLET It make you feel any better? CHARLIE Not really, sir. Nothing makes you feel better. But it did make me feel proud. CUT TO: INT. - LOBBY - DAY Josh walk into the lobby and Will meets him. WILL How's Donna? JOSH Potential bleeding issues. WILL Dire issues? JOSH "Significant" is the word they used, but "dire" is good. C.J. joins them. C.J. How's Donna? WILL Some issues. C.J. Life-threatening? WILL Significant. They meet Toby in the hall on the way toward the Oval Office. TOBY Hey. Donna okay? C.J. Some issues. I don't know what they are. JOSH You know what? Maybe we'll do this all at once. LEO [OS] Josh. CUT TO: INT. - OUTER OVAL OFFICE - DAY Will, C.J., and Toby walk into the room. Kate is waiting and Charlie is at his desk. CHARLIE Any news on Donna? TOBY Some issues. C.J. Potentially significant. WILL With bleeding. Josh and Leo come in. JOSH Anyway, there's been major blood loss. LEO Poor kid. WILL What's going to be our response? LEO What do you think it should be? WILL Regime change. C.J. Take out the Chairman. WILL He is the impediment. TOBY "The Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity." LEO Abba Eban's line. C.J. The guy in Tel Aviv's no picnic either. LEO State's convinced, nothing can happen till these two guys are gone. WILL Israel is not the problem. C.J. The settlement, the wall... CHARLIE Israel didn't just blow Americans up. C.J. I'm not saying there's equivalence. WILL Israelis don't talk about driving the Palestinians into the sea. HARPER Some do. WILL Oh, come on. C.J. Ever heard the phrase "Greater Israel"? LEO Not from anyone serious. HARPER One reason some people say nothing can happen till these guys are gone is the feeling they both may be stuck in old attitudes or assumptions. There was a time when Palestinians and all Arabs wanted to drive Jews into the sea, but some would argue that time's past. WILL Listen to some Arab broadcasts. C.J. Rabble-rousing to distract their street. HARPER I'm not sure any credible Arab leader truly expects Israel's demise anymore, not even the Chairman. LEO Don't be so sure. HARPER Well, there's a view that... WILL Don't keep saying "Some argue" and "There's a view." Can we restrict it to your view? HARPER Okay. Palestinians are no longer fighting to destroy the Jewish state. They're fighting for a state of their own, a revolutionary struggle against an occupying force, and revolutionaries will outlast and out-die occupiers every time. WILL I don't know if that's more simplistic or naive. TOBY It's tribal. It can't be solved. It's Hatfield and McCoy and there is no end. CUT TO: INT. - HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT Donna and Colin are watching a tape of a suicide bomber. DONNA She's so young. COLIN Yeah. Suicide bombers often leave these videotapes behind. DONNA What's she saying? He backs up the tape and translates for Donna. COLIN Um... "It was always my wish to turn my body into deadly shrapnel, to knock on heaven's door with the skulls of Zionists. God gave me two children who I love so..." DONNA COLIN He pauses the tape. COLIN He gets up, comes over to the bed, and sits next to Donna. COLIN DONNA COLIN CUT TO: INT. - OUTER OVAL OFFICE - DAY Josh, Leo, Toby, Will, C.J., Kate and Charlie are still talking. WILL C.J. LEO HARPER Or we use this as an opportunity. JOSH We need to kill them! LEO JOSH Charlie's phone rings. CHARLIE LEO They all go in except for Leo and Josh, who go into the Mural Room. JOSH LEO JOSH Ramstein Landstuhl LEO JOSH LEO JOSH He leaves the room and begins to run toward his office. CUT TO: INT. - JOSH'S BULLPEN AREA - DAY We see Josh burst through the door and he runs into his office. He grabs some things as he leaves. He walks out and we focus on Donna's empty chair. CUT TO: INT. - HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT Donna is again at the computer. She looks over from where she is sitting and we see Colin asleep on the bed. CUT TO: EXT. - MARKETPLACE - GAZA - DAY We see Donna walking through the marketplace. She walks over to where Colin is standing. DONNA Sorry. Border tour went on forever. COLIN It's all right. He snaps some pictures of her. COLIN You still got time? DONNA Uh, a few minutes. COLIN All right. Yossi! YOSSI (speaks Hebrew) COLIN (speaks Hebrew) They walk over. COLIN (speaks Hebrew) YOSSI (speaks Hebrew) COLIN Donna Moss, with the Americans. YOSSI He's a wicked man, you know. DONNA Heartbreaker. YOSSI My hero, actually. DONNA I'm sure. COLIN Yeah, yeah, yeah. DONNA How old are you? YOSSI I'm 22. DONNA You like the army? YOSSI It's an Israelis most sacred duty. Nothing I will ever do is more important. DONNA Plus girls like the uniform. YOSSI The uniform? They like me. Donna laughs. DONNA Colin says you have strong feelings about serving here. YOSSI Is no good, Gaza. DONNA No good, how? YOSSI 7,500 Israeli settlers surrounded by 1.3 million Palestinians who do not wish us here, and we in the middle. DONNA It's difficult. YOSSI Once we were sent to dismantle an illegal settlement. The settlers punch and kick us. A woman bit my arm so hard she drew blood. My own people. COLIN Yossi spent some time guarding the settlement at Kfar Durom. DONNA I've been there. It's dangerous. YOSSI I lost comrades. For a soldier this is expected, but two were women. Girls, 19. Killed in their barracks. DONNA I'm sorry. COLIN Tell her what happened then. Go on, man, you can tell her. YOSSI After the deaths of the young girls, some in my unit... they'd call on loudspeaker. In Arabic, aunting, calling them names, filthy names. And young Palestinians would come out of hiding, boys with rocks... and they'd shoot them with live bullets. DONNA You...? YOSSI I do not shoot children. Donna, I served with them. They are not evil, but when people who are not monsters do this, it is the situation; the circumstances are to blame. DONNA I have to go. Thanks for speaking with me. YOSSI Enjoy your visit. COLIN (speaks Hebrew) They walk away. COLIN I'd better not come and join your friends. DONNA Okay. Bye. Donna walks up to Andy. Colin stays where he is. FITZWALLACE You know, after 50 years, one option might be to get over it. DONNA It feels even hotter today. Is that possible? ANDY Enjoy your break? DONNA Wasn't what you think. We see him take some pictures of Donna as the car drives off. CUT TO: INT. - PLANE - NIGHT Josh is sitting at his seat. The flight attendant can be heard making an announcement in German. She then makes the announcement in English. FLIGHT ATTENDANT At this time, all electronic devices must be turned off and stowed in preparation for our landing in Frankfurt. FADE OUT. END ACT THREE. * * * ACT FOUR FADE IN: INT. - SITUATION ROOM - DAY Bartlet comes into the Situation Room. Kate, Leo, and Hutchinson are already there. BARTLET What's the latest? HARPER The FBI team lands in five hours. BARTLET You've spoken to Nancy? HARPER Dr. McNally's left Caracas. She'll hit Tel Aviv, Cairo, Amman. LEO Tell her to be careful. BARTLET What's the situation on the ground? They sit. HUTCHINSON The Chairman's not letting the grass grow. Palestinian Authority police made a night raid into the Jabaliya refugee camp. LEO Any chance they're the right people? HUTCHINSON The Israelis say no. BARTLET Did they want to think about it for a minute? HUTCHINSON They say these guys are dissidents from Fatah. The Chairman just, uh, settling old scores. HARPER He did take action. LEO Are we awarding A's for effort now? HARPER Effort's what he's accused of never making. BARTLET What more do we know about the bombing? HUTCHINSON The planning, the execution, the size of the bomb, all appear too sophisticated to be some guys just freelancing. LEO Hamas and Hezbollah have often used roadside bombs like this against IDF tanks. HUTCHINSON Maybe that's what this was intended for. BARTLET Because Chevy Suburbans are often confused with Israeli tanks. Military options? HUTCHINSON As you noted earlier, sir, fixed targets are hard to come by. Half the time the Israelis aren't sure what to hit. BARTLET So, let me sum up: we don't know who did this, or even if they meant to. We don't know how we'd hit them if we ever did find out who it was. We don't know who these guys were that the Chairman arrested or why. Is there anything, anything at all, that we do know? HUTCHINSON We know that at the blast site, groups of Palestinians stoned Western reporters shouting "God is Great." CUT TO: INT. EXT. - HOSPITAL - GERMANY - NIGHT We see Josh run up the stairs of the hospital and into the lobby. CUT TO: INT. - HOSPITAL LOBBY - GERMANY - NIGHT Josh runs up to the desk and speaks to the clerk. JOSH Hi, I'm Josh Lyman from the White House. I'm looking for Donnatella Moss's room. We see Josh walk to the elevator and get in. He pushes a button and the door shuts. CUT TO: INT. - DONNA'S FLOOR - NIGHT Josh is waiting to see Donna's doctor, COL. LEAHY. COL. LEAHY Mr. Lyman? JOSH Yeah. LEAHY I'm Colonel Leahy. I operated on Ms. Moss. JOSH For what, exactly? I'm a little behind the curve. LEAHY She came in with a multiple compound fracture of the femur and a pneumothorax. JOSH Sorry, I... LEAHY Uh, collapsed lung, broken thighbone. JOSH Collapsed lung? That's no biggie, right? LEAHY We suctioned the air from the pleural cavity by chest tube. JOSH Really, 'cause that sounds a little... LEAHY No biggie. The lung should re-expand within 48 to 72 hours. JOSH And a broken leg? LEAHY A compound fracture is one that protrudes through the skin. JOSH Uh-huh. LEAHY And this was a multiple, so that means... JOSH Yeah, I got it, I got it. LEAHY Are you all right? JOSH I get a little queasy. Plus, the... you know, jet lag. LEAHY In any event, the main fracture repairs went well. We inserted a metal rod through the bone. JOSH Okay. Josh bends down in nausea. LEAHY You wanna sit? JOSH I'm fine. LEAHY At the moment I'm more worried about you. JOSH I'm good. I'm good. LEAHY Well, we'll want to perform some Doppler studies, ensure no clots have formed. Recovery from the pneumothorax may take several weeks. The fracture, months of physical therapy. JOSH Great. I mean, not great, but considering. LEAHY You can see her. Uh, if you'd like. He grabs his bag and follows the doctor down the hall. CUT TO: INT. - OVAL OFFICE - NIGHT Bartlet is sitting in one of the chairs. Charlie comes to the door and shows Kate in. CHARLIE Sir? Kate Harper. HARPER Mr. President. BARTLET I want to thank you for your work today. Hell of an orientation. HARPER No thanks necessary, sir. BARTLET I understand you knew Admiral Fitzwallace. Today notwithstanding, reliable intelligence does occasionally come my way. HARPER The Admiral was one of my mentors after Annapolis. I had a mild tendency toward insubordination. BARTLET Which he helped you correct? HARPER Which he enjoyed when not directed at him. BARTLET I have a similar taste. HARPER I'll bear that in mind. BARTLET Sir. HARPER Sorry? BARTLET I'll bear that in mind, sir. HARPER Oh, no, I... BARTLET I'm just jerking your chain. Charlie? CHARLIE Yes, Mr. President. BARTLET Secret Service have the car? CHARLIE Yes, sir. BARTLET Thank you. [to Kate] Walk with me. They leave the office. CUT TO: INT. - HALLWAY - WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT Bartlet and Kate are walking through the hall toward the front door. BARTLET The Mideast reminds me of that joke about the optimist and the pessimist. The pessimist says "Everything is terrible. It can't get any worse." The optimist says "Oh, yes it can." HARPER It can get easy to forget that there's a silence majority on both sides who just want to live their lives. BARTLET Unfortunately, you spend all your time focusing on what's drowning them out: the invective and bomb blasts. HARPER Isn't it our ultimate moral responsibility to them? BARTLET It's quicksand. An ego trip. HARPER Sir? BARTLET Chasing that Nobel Peace Prize right down the same sinkhole. HARPER After 50 years of strife and futility, there's no dishonor in failure. The only dishonor might be not to try. BARTLET Come take a ride. He gets into the limo and Kate gets in behind him. CUT TO: INT. - DONNA'S HOSPITAL ROOM -NIGHT The doctor shows Josh in and he comes over to Donna's bedside and looks down at her. CUT TO: EXT. - STREET - NIGHT We see the Presidential motorcade driving down the road. It pulls up in front of the home of Admiral Fitzwallace's widow, GAIL. Bartlet and Kate get out and go up to the door. Bartlet rings the doorbell. Gail answers the door. She looks as though she has definitely been crying. BARTLET Gail. GAIL FITZWALLACE Mr. President. Please come in. Bartlet indicates for Kate to go in front of him and then he follows her in. CUT TO: INT. - SITTING ROOM - FITZWALLACE'S HOUSE - NIGHT Bartlet and Kate are talking with Gail. BARTLET I wish I could express the depth of my sorrow for your loss. HARPER I'm so sorry, Mrs. Fitzwallace. GAIL A sailor's wife doesn't live with fear the way a soldier's does. An Admiral's wife that much less. You don't spend a career preparing for this. It seemed like a blessing, until today. BARTLET The people responsible will be found and brought to justice. GAIL Don't promise that. I know the world. CUT TO: INT. - LEO'S OFFICE - NIGHT Leo and C.J. are in Leo's office and they are talking. LEO What else? C.J. The funerals. LEO I know. C.J. The FBI's gonna need some time with the remains. LEO Yeah. You should go home. C.J. Me? Leo's phone rings. He goes to his desk and answers it. LEO Yeah. ... Okay. Thanks. He hangs the phone up. LEO Israeli gunships just fired missiles into an apartment house in Gaza City. They were targeting a Hamas leader. 12 killed, including 4 children. No word whether the Hamas leader is among the dead. C.J. nods and leaves the room. CUT TO: INT. - DONNA'S ROOM - NIGHT We see a nurse walk into Donna's room. Josh is sitting by her bed and he is looking worried about her. DISSOLVE TO: END TITLES. FADE TO BLACK. THE END. * * * The West Wing episode 5.21 "Gaza", original air date 12 May, 2004.