(based on the book "Blood Brothers, by Father Elias Chacour)

Excerpt from Scene 1

BACKGROUND ACTION: DIRECTOR'S PREROGATIVE: Perhaps, several of the younger children begin playing a game. As Elias speaks, one or two of his older brothers leave. Father and mother appear to talk to each other. The two older boys come back with a rifle.

Elias: But some people of the village were troubled themselves, troubled at the thought of soldiers armed with machine guns coming to stay in our homes. Perhaps that's why, a few days later, my brother Rudah brought a rifle home.

Father: NO! NO!!!

Elias: (surprised) That got our attention. Father seldom shouted.

Father: (Composes himself, smiles and puts his hand on the shoulder of Rudah, the boy with the gun.) Jews and Palestinians are brothers -- blood brothers -- We share the same father, Abraham, and the same God. Our lives are bound together in this land. We have suffered together under the Romans, the Persians, the crusaders and the Turks. We have learned to share the things that cause people to live happily together: faith, reverence for life and hospitality. We will get rid of the gun.

Father puts his hand on the rifle as he says the last line. Rudah nods, turns and leaves. As Elias resumes his monologue, all the children leave, and father kneels by his wife and talks with her.

Elias: We will get rid of the gun," he said. So often, father’s wisdom showed itself to us in simple words.

Excerpt from Scene 5

Explanation: Elias is at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem -- the first Palestinian to attend -- and is invited to a university symposium to compare and contrast Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Suddenly a student suggests, amid murmurs of agreement, that Arabs living in Israel should be dealt with summarily. Offended by this racist comment, Elias rises and leaves the room. His friend, the Jewish Professor David Flusser, goes after him.

Professor Flusser: Don’t leave, Elias, we’ll change the discussion.

Elias: It’s not the discussion that needs to change. It’s the mentality. (He continues to walk away.)

Professor Flusser: We can change the mentality. Elias, would you give up on us so easily? I know how you feel.

Elias stops, laughs sarcastically and turns.

Elias: Know how I feel? You have no idea.  (He starts walking back toward Flusser slowly.)  Your people came here and you destroyed our villages and homes, and you took away our land – our farms, our very livelihood. And why? For no other reason than that we were not Jewish. Then when we try to reclaim our land, you accuse us of prejudice and hatred? You have no idea. You have no idea… how I feel.

[While Elias is speaking, the "eldest" Elias has silently come up behind him. Elias is now face to face with Flusser. He again turns to leave. As he does, the elder Elias abruptly stops him. The younger Elias looks startled. At the same time, Flusser, who cannot see the eldest Elias, puts his hand on young Elias' shoulder. As the dialogue continues, the elder Elias turns and walks off.]

Flusser: They destroyed our homes and took away our businesses -- our livelihood. They tried to kill us all. And why? For no other reason than that we were Jewish. I suppose you're right, Elias, there are many things we do not understand about each other. Stay here and teach us. Stay here and learn from us. We cannot give up so easily.

Excerpt from Scene 7

Elias: The life of a peacemaker is not for the fainthearted. You must be prepared to take a blow without striking one. You must guard against too much optimism and expectation when peace makes progress, and you must gird yourself and remain ever hopeful when violence threatens to obliterate this delicate bird. Being a peacemaker requires begging for peace on your knees in the streets. It demands deep forgiveness. It means risking the friendship of your enemies.

I think of my father’s words: “We will get rid of the gun.” And I know that some day we will.

Some day Jews, Christians and Muslims together will march the seventh time around Jerusalem, trumpets blaring, and watch the crumbling of all the terrible idols of our religions; our murderous delusions of being favored by God; our desire to fulfill prophecy regardless of the will of God; and our willingness to kill for the sake of religion, while God looks on with grief and anger. Then, confessing to each other and embracing each other in forgiveness, we will toss upon the altar our grudges and vendettas, our hatred and fears, and our guns.

Meanwhile, peacemakers, the sons and daughters of God, must sacrifice ourselves daily. We must persevere. Weary though we may be, we must not be guilty of silence. We must speak out. Our message of peace and reconciliation is the message of Christ Jesus. If we keep silent, then it is Christ who is not heard. That we cannot let that happen. We must speak out!  And if we speak with love in our hearts, love even for those who have leveled our villages and left us homeless, love for those who have killed our brothers, sisters and parents and left us orphans, love even for those who have wounded us and left us limping, then, someday, we will be heard.

And on that day – miracle of miracles – peace, like a prodigal son, will return to this holy land.

He stands, stuffs the handkerchief into his front pocket, but stops abruptly, as though he has felt something else in his pocket. He pulls the necklace from his pocket, looks at it and smiles. From backstage, his mother’s voice can be heard again.

Mother’s voice: “Be strong, Elias. What you do matters.”

Then Elias walks off stage, jingling the necklace as he goes. As he passes the heckler, he pauses and smiles. He does the same to "the second voice." As he disappears, the jingling continues for several seconds.