Rescue Bus 300 (2018) - full transcript

The film is based on true testimonies from those
who took part in the bus 300 hijacking on April 1984

What did you say?

Will you marry me?

Thank you. Sorry.

I couldn't understand what he said.

He proposed.

He did?

Are you sure?

I think he asked
if you want to marry him.

Do you?

I don't know.



First I have to make sure
that's what he really said.

And then?

Who knows?

I'll probably say yes.

I'm Esther.
-Irit.

Hi. -Hi.

Bus number 300.

This bus is like a recurring encounter,

many people you've seen
previously on this bus line

but whom you don't really know.

At the time, long before the Disengagement,
many Arabs from Gaza worked in Israel,

they worked in Tel Aviv's restaurants,
construction sites, cleaned the streets.

On Thursdays the bus was full of Arabs
returning to Gaza for the weekend.

Sometimes it was so crowded
that it was unnerving.



This time the bus wasn't full,
but I was unaware.

On the contrary,
I liked that it wasn't crowded

and I had other things on my mind.

I buy one ticket,
but we're actually two,

me and the baby.

Will Arik Sharon be able
to surprise everyone again

in the prime minister race?

Shamir's cronies claim that...

Driver, put some music on.

Who cares about the Likud party convention?

We accompanied one of them,
Ruvi Rivlin, from Jerusalem.

Ruvi Rivlin wants to run
for the Knesset.

That night, while watching
the TV broadcast from the Knesset...

Excuse me, I'm sorry.

It's okay.

You have a problem on the bus.

Can you show me your ID, please?

Take control of everyone!

Not the children,
not the children!

Put the knife down!

Step on it!

You keep driving
or I'll slaughter you!

Listen, everyone,
we have a bomb.

If he presses the button,
everything will explode!

I was terrified,

My life flashed before my eyes,

I thought of the baby I was carrying.

I didn't know
if it was a boy or a girl.

I couldn't believe
that I was a hostage

on a bus
headed towards the unknown.

No, I have no guess,
I guess you're making a thriller film here.

In 1981 I returned to Israel
after 14 years abroad.

And Rino Tzror from Hadashot Daily
offered me a job.

We worked like crazy
and we were so enthusiastic.

That night there was a Likud convention

and I was there with Natan Zahavi.

What crap.

Then a journalist for Hadashot.

These conventions are always "interesting."

Listen to me...
-Do I have a choice?

Arik Sharon is gonna
take over the party,

just like his lackey, Uri Dan, said:

If you don't want him as chief of staff,
you'll get him as defense minister.

If you don't want him as defense minister,
you'll get him as prime minister.

And that scumbag was right,

that rhinoceros will be
prime minister one day.

Do you get a picture of him?
-Uri Dan?

Sharon.

From all sides.

Maybe that Amstaf will shake them up.

How did this bunch of bums
take the power from us,

can you tell me that?

Did you get Shamir sleeping?

I did.

He sleeps when he's awake,
that loser.

Did you get David Levy
whispering to Katzav?

I did, I did.

Begin brought in
two Sephardis as decorations.

Tell me how a party
where all the voters are Sephardi

put only Ashkenazis on top?

It was such a boring event.

I'm taking pictures,
hoping Shamir will go like this...

You start imagining
all kinds of frames,

you need an amusing shot
because it was so boring.

We just sat there
waiting for something to happen.

I invite Minister Yaakov Meridor
to the podium...

Who's that?
-Yaakov Meridor.

Not another wiseguy...

Remember his bogus idea

of creating electricity with electric dust?

Did you take his picture?
-I did.

Then what else is there to do here?

I need one good picture
of Moshe Arens.

I was 22 at the time.

I was studying
at Tel Aviv University

and, like every week, I was on my way home.

Me and my boyfriend at the time, Ze'ev,

at first I thought
perhaps it was a robbery.

I was 36,
a teacher and student counselor,

married with one child.

I thought,
okay, this is a terrorist attack

and I saw a terrorist with an
open briefcase with lots of wires

and it was pretty scary.
Pretty scary.

I thought of pulling one of the wires
but no,

I'm liable to blow up the whole bus.

Stop!

I was just about to commence
my service in the standing army.

The first thing the terrorists told us

was to draw the blinds.

Everyone, close the blinds!

Close the blinds.

Close the blinds.

Give us your guns and rifles!

Another terrorist was holding
a bottle with acid.

Make sure no one has a weapon in the back.

He stood by a soldier that was there.

I have nothing on me.

I think his name was Yochanan.

And he started searching him
for weapons.

Close it.
-Okay.

I'm closing it.

Keep driving, don't stop.
Step on it.

No one move!

He had his finger on a device
and I kept thinking

that he looked so unprofessional,
he could press it by accident

and activate the bomb by mistake.

Don't worry,
he won't do anything.

Don't worry.

Everyone was in shock,
no one uttered a word.

The bus was totally silent.

People were in shock.

And at that moment I thought,
I have to do something

to save myself and the baby.

I told Irit
that I have to get off the bus.

We started discussing
how I should go about it.

Excuse me...

She has to get off.

No one gets off.

She's pregnant,
she has to get off.

No one gets off!

Your water broke,
start breathing heavily, okay?

I pretended to faint.

Excuse me...

Her water broke.

She's pregnant, her water broke.
The baby's coming.

Baby. You understand?

She has to get off.

Jamal!

We have a problem. -What?
-She says she has to get off.

No one gets off.

No one gets off!

Her water just broke.

Let her go!
Her water broke, she's pregnant.

Please!

Sit down. -She...
-Sit down!

You have enough people,
let her go.

What are you doing?

Let her go!

Suddenly everyone tried to persuade him

to let me go.

Let her off.

Nobody move!

And I kept up the ruse.

I didn't let up for a second.

I couldn't believe
that he was letting me go.

My legs were shaking.

I was so happy
that me and my baby were safe.

But I was sad, too.
I may have been safe,

but there was a bus full of people
on the way to the unknown.

Come on, let's get out of here.

Are you done?
Can we go now?

No, not yet.

How many photos do you want to take?

One. Rino will publish
only one picture

and I don't know if it's here
or if it's here.

Then when are we leaving?
-Soon.

I have to get a picture of Arens.

Another right-winger...

And they made him
defense minister...

Did you know his son is
a Matzpen activist?

Yeah, I heard.

How does a man

who can't educate his son
to follow his own politics

take over our defense establishment?
Can you explain that to me?

Huh? Hey!

We're approaching
Ashkelon Junction

and I'm hoping
that we'll enter Ashkelon

and we'll be rescued,

but then I hear that...

the terrorist is holding the wheel.

They didn't want the driver
to turn right

into Ashkelon.

He was shouting at him:
drive, you bastard!

His words are etched in my mind.

The hardest moment
of the hijacking

was driving past
Ashkelon Junction.

That's when we realized
we weren't going home,

we were on our way
to some horrible place.

There was this sense of doom,
people started to cry,

I felt helpless.

Police. Police.

Jamal, police.
What do we do?

After the bus drove away
I ran in the opposite direction.

A guy from Ashkelon stopped his car,
I told him what happened,

I said there's a gas station
not far away

and that we should get there fast
and notify the police.

Come here.

Don't let him stop.

Go! Go!

Go!

Put women and the children
to block the window.

The terrorists told me to move to
the back, next to a woman and two children,

they tried to create a human shield
so as not to be hit by gunfire.

Armored infantry,
set up blockades.

I was sector commander
and brigade commander in Gaza.

"Ashuach" forces, this is "Head Ashuach",
the bus must be stopped

so it doesn't reach
the camps or to Rafah.

I repeat,
the bus must be stopped. Over and out.

This is "Tziporen",
the road block at Erez has been breached.

I get in the jeep and drive north.

At Jabalia there's another road block,
the bus drives through it, too.

It approaches the city of Gaza.

There the Israeli police block the road
with a citrus fruit truck.

The bus sees the truck,
drives onto a traffic island,

bypasses the truck and keeps going.

The road block was breached.
It's continuing south.

When I get that report
I realize

that they want to get
to the Egyptian border,

that's what went through my mind.

I said,
that bus will not reach Egypt.

Deputy "Rakefet",
this is "Head Ashuach".

I'm 200 meters
ahead of you,

keep up pursuit of the bus.

I laid down
spikes before the junction.

If the bus drives through
the road block

you have authorization
to open fire aiming at the tires.

I repeat,
after the road block, open fire.

It was 8 km from the Egyptian border

and that's why I made the decision
to open fire on the bus,

and it wasn't an easy decision.

Spikes!

Suddenly we hear gunfire
and Stevie grabbed my head.

Duck, they're shooting!

3 bullets cut through the seat.

I've been shot!

We tried to hide between the seats.

People were yelling, crying,
and the gunfire didn't stop.

I've been shot!

Jamal, I'm losing control.

Suddenly we hear a thud
near the tires,

the bus swerves to the right
and comes to a stop.

The bus stopped,
I sustained injuries to both my legs.

Run!

We hear:
Run! Jump out! Run!

Then the screaming and chaos began.

Help me get them out.

You have to knock the window open.

People started jumping out the windows.

I think I passed out.

Ilan, the driver, opened the door
and escaped.

They helped the children out,
then their mother.

And the terrorists are trying
to sit us back down.

Our adrenaline was pumping,
we just wanted to escape.

No one move!

And then he pulled out the grenade.

I was shaking all over,

I couldn't speak.

We'll all die!

We realized we had to sit down
and do as they say,

we had no choice.

We feel totally abandoned.

The entire back seat where I sat
was riddled with bullet holes.

Another missed opportunity, instead of
jumping out, we stayed in the bus.

Whoever remained in the bus
sat down and withdrew into themselves.

Those were unbearable,
terrifying moments.

Armored Infantry activate "Celestial Army".

"Celestial Army".
This is not a drill.

I returned to Israel after visiting
elite units in the U.S. army

straight to military maneuvers
in the south.

After a few days without sleep
I returned home

and my wife took the kids
to the movies so I could sleep.

Sir!

Everyone's looking for you,
you're not answering your phone.

I didn't hear it ring.
What happened?

A bus was hijacked
on the way to Ashkelon.

Wait downstairs,
I'll be right there.

Make sure Celestial Army
was activated.

I called General Staff headquarters,
deputy chief of staff was Major General Ivri.

I said, I just heard,

Within three minutes I'll be on my way
to Dov Air Base with all my gear.

He said:
We might not need you there.

I think the event will be over
before you get there.

I said: I'll be there.

At around 8 p.m.

I was coming back from a local base.

I got a phone call:
"Celestial Army" has been activated.

At that time I was in a meeting
with the deputy commander, Kobi Frumer.

I get a message on my beeper, "A bus has
been hijacked, wait for further instructions."

I talked to my Operations Officer

and the well-oiled machine
was set in motion.

Kobi asks me for more details.

He says: Thank you, Operations Officer,
I'm going to the scene.

I say: Kobi, the unit commander
said we should wait.

Kobi is a large man.

He says: Operations Officer,
you stay here,

I have to be there.

My military secretary
was Danny Yatom.

He informed me
that a bus had been hijacked.

He told me where, so I said:
Okay, I'm going there.

You won't believe this,
he's not speaking today. -Who?

Arens.

Gimme a break.

They said
he had to leave the convention,

I didn't get his picture.

Those bozos,

then what were we waiting for?

Maybe something happened.

Then our beepers go off.

I don't even think
the paper informed us,

it was a spontaneous decision
to go after the bus.

We didn't ask anyone
at the paper.

Once we heard what was going on,

Natan and I got in the car
and Natan drove like a maniac.

I was stressed at every road block,
wondering whether we'd get through or not.

Until we tailed an ambulance
and I remember soldiers and cops yelling:

Stop! Stop!
And we kept driving.

We were among the first to arrive.

We went from a terribly boring event
to an event full of adrenalin.

What's up with this?

We got there at around 10 p.m.,

I don't remember exactly.

Move, move...

Natan Zahavi, Hadashot Daily.

The army didn't restrict us,

they just said we must stay

a certain distance away from the bus.

20 or 30 meters from the bus.

Over there,
with the rest of the reporters.

Excuse me,
is the defense minister here?

Half the country is here,
can't you see?

Thank you.

We weren't restricted,

the fact is we weren't shot at
when we reached the road blocks.

Think about it, civilian vehicles
driving through military road blocks.

Today, no way!
We'd be shot.

Press down.

Yochanan took a bullet
to the thigh and he was bleeding.

Once Irit and Ze'ev,
the two medics on the bus,

got permission from the terrorists
to treat the wounded,

I remember Yochanan
telling them what to do

because it was dark in the bus.

There was this horrible darkness outside.

It was pitch black,
you couldn't see a thing.

I was at home in Jerusalem.

One or two evenings
before I took over command of the unit

and I didn't have a position.

Omer was going to replace me,
he was battalioin commander of the reserves.

The date was set for Thursday,
the day of the incident.

But for some reason he said:

My reserve unit asked
that we postpone it to Sunday,

a few days later.

I said: No problem,
Sunday is fine.

Then I get a call
from the unit at midnight.

Someone must have added me
to the end of the list

because I wasn't on duty
and they said: There's an incident.

I had this small rental car
and I set out.

I get there and see the bus

where the terrorists
are holding the passengers hostage.

The head of the "Shin Bet" was there,
Avraham Shalom,

and the IDF Chief of Staff.

The counter-terrorism Police unit was already
there with snipers, ready for action.

The first thing I did

was disperse all the people
that were around Shai

so that he could focus

on the task at hand.

I patrolled the area
with Omer and the Intelligence Officer

to understand
what we were dealing with.

There was no sense of urgency.

This wasn't an event
that required a hasty response,

rather observation and thought
as to how to proceed.

Kobi arrives,
he is briefed,

he'll be the one to negotiate
and convey the information to us

while we were preparting and trying to work out
what we should do.

We set up the routine front command squad
and think tank.

Hundreds of people were there,
civilians,

soldiers, reserve soldiers, journalists,
photographers.

I went back to the front command squad
and the Chief of Staff said:

Take command of the event.

I asked for a bus
like the one that was hijacked.

I called Omer Bar-Lev over,
he was about to replace Shai Avital,

and I asked that they convene everyone
for a briefing

and prepare for a takeover.

Itzik Mordechai, the Chief Infantry Officer,
called me over,

he was having a discussion
with several people.

Itzik, let Kobi talk to them first.
Let's figure out who we're up against.

One of my guys talked to them,

they're demanding
that we free prisoners.

It's hard to tell
how serious they are.

We had discussions,
we negotiated with the terrorists to see...

where we could take it.

I understand that Shai is conducting
a simulation with the Matkal recon unit.

We brought the exact same bus
and they're practicing the takeover.

How long will it take?

They'll be ready in one hour.

I kept in mind
that there's a bus,

there are civilians, soldiers,
Israelis trapped inside,

there are terrorists with explosives
and a disaster could occur at any time

in and around the bus.

I suggest we discuss a plan
to take over the bus.

There were two options: the police counter-
terrorism unit or the IDF's Sayeret Matkal.

I didn't think it was right
to impose it on the Police unit

because they were deployed all around.

I thought it would be better
for Sayeret Matkal to practice

on the practice bus
a few times.

Do we have snipers surrounding the bus?
-Yes.

But it's not that straightforward,

they're liable to hit civilians.

We must explore the option
of initial gunfire from short range.

Omer, is there anyone who can
get in the bus with a hidden gun?

I have just the man.

D. was a reserve officer
who trained us in gun fire,

he was the ultimate gunman.

Some say he is to this day.

Dovi is the best gunman,
but he'll have to get close to the bus

so he can shoot from bottom to top
without harming the civilians.

You must keep in mind
that I was wary

of the terrorist attacks
of the past -

Kiryat Shmona, Maalot,

Avivim,

and I remembered
the tragedy of those events.

In the Coastal Road Massacre

I was driving across from the bus
from the opposite direction to Sdot Yam

and I didn't know it,

but when we arrived
at Gelilot Junction,

the bus had already exploded
and was on fire

and we had to help evacuate victims.
It was a hard scene to bear.

I say this as background

because naturally each one of us

has prior events
etched in our memories

and my memories were stained

with the harsh events
and the dire outcomes.

A bus that is hijacked by terrorists,
as with other terrorist attacks,

can be subject to a painful end.

At one point
there's this flash of light,

the bus is illuminated in a bright light

and it made us feel good.

We felt in control,
we could talk to one another,

see one another.

It gave us a sense of security

and the terrorists didn't like that.

Watch the back and sides,
so they don't surprise us.

Generally the terrorists ask

to speak to a certain ambassador
or someone like that.

and thus we approached the bus,
in an open and exposed way.

We just want to talk.

Stay away!

Brother, we just want to talk.

No weapons.

Who are you?

I'm the man
you want to talk to.

Are you from the army?

Let's just say I have a direct line
to the prime minister.

He'll be informed
of everything we discuss.

My name's Kobi.
What's your name?

Who are they?

The situation was extremely bizarre.

He's the representative you requested,
his name is John.

And this is Eran, my driver,
he's always with me.

It was like a movie set
with huge projectors

aimed at the bus,

all the top commanders
behind the projectors,

Itzik Mordechai,
the Chief of Staff.

And you're with these two guys

hoping the terrorists

won't suspect anything

if we act natural.

But it's not a movie, it's real,
and we're facing terrorists

who can kill us
even before we get started.

What is he doing?
-Nothing. Nothing.

It's just cigarettes.
He smokes a lot.

What's your name?

Look, I'm here to help you.

Jamal.

Did you get our demands?
-Yes.

The release of 500 prisoners

and a helicopter to Egypt
within 24 hours.

Any progress?

We're waiting for the list of names.

500 names?

How else will we know
who to release?

Go by organization, Fatah,
the Popular Front, you'll reach 500.

Of course,
but do you have a preference?

First the men serving long sentences

and all the prisoners
in Megiddo Prison.

Can you release the wounded?
So they don't die?

24 hours is a long time.

No one gets out.

And turn off the lights,
they bother us.

Turn off the lights!
Turn them off!

You'll get everything you want.

Anything else?

Don't play those games with us!

If an armed soldier approaches the bus,
I'll blow it up.

Lt. Col. Kobi Frumer,
an extremely sensitive man,

arrives at the unit,
has to take up his position,

has to learn Arabic on the fly

and is going to lead
the most significant event of his life

and that shows
how unique Kobi was

in the structure of the unit and out.

This man begins negotiations

knowing that the people on the bus
must get out alive,

and that all eyes are on him,

and any mistake he makes

could result in a disaster.

The result manifests
the will of the Likud members

that I return to the hub
of decision-making.

Later at home
I was waiting to hear word

of the hijacking on TV
but there was nothing.

The focus was on the Likud convention,
on the Histadrut

and no one updated me
on what happened.

I was so tense,
I couldn't sleep, I was so scared.

At around 2:30 a.m.
there was a knock on the door,

my husband opened to find
three Shin Bet officers with photos.

I identified the terrorist.

They said they know him,
he's 19 years old.

His father died a few years earlier,
he works in Tel Aviv and they know him.

As Kobi Frumer is negotiating

he obtains information
about the man he's dealing with,

who he is,
where he lives, where he comes from,

who his father is,
who his brother is.

They're extremely close,
they see one another.

They're having
an intimate conversation,

like friends at a cafe
on Dizengoff Street

and then you go back
and you have Itzik Mordechai,

the Chief of Staff
and Arens to answer to

and you're in
a virtually impossible situation.

Jamal, this is not what we discussed.

We said there'd be no bloodshed.

What do you want us to do?

-Give over the bus
and get us out of here...

I didn't want this to happen,
but there's nothing we can do.

We got into this
and I don't know how to get out.

Jamal, we mustn't kill,
our religion forbids it.

I know,

but we're in this mess
and it's not easy to get out.

This is the only way to free
500 prisoners, including your brother.

Get back there.

The bleeding won't stop.

This equipment isn't enough,
we need a real tourniquet

to stop the bleeding.

Take over for me.

Excuse me,

when those men come to talk to you,
tell them we need proper dressings.

What's that?

Bandages, IVs, morphine,
things wounded people need.

We didn't do that,
your soldiers did.

Yes, but you hijacked us,
you're responsible.

We're responsible?
-Yes, people are wounded,

hungry, thirsty,
freezing from the cold.

You're responsible for them.

What's so funny?

You think a few hours
without water is hard?

You think it's cold in here?

I was in your prison twice,
I begged for food,

for water.

I starved all night
until I fell asleep.

I'm sorry to hear that.

I have 8.000 brothers
in your prisons,

did you know that?

No, I didn't know.

You didn't know.

You people know nothing.

I'm really sorry
for what was done to you, I am,

but if you want those men
to take you seriously,

you have to show them
that you're looking out for these people.

And please turn on the lights,
we have to see what we're doing.

I got the plans approved
by the Chief of Staff, the Defense Minister

and Itzik Mordechai,
Chief Infantry Officer.

I built the plan which was based
on the counter-terrorism police unit plan

and my understanding
of the events in the field.

We're working according to
the simulation, it's quite simple,

we enter from all directions -
the two doors and the back window.

Our green light is when Dovi shoots
their commander.

Dovi, you're in gunfire range, yes?

Before we take action
I'd like to join Kobi and Omer again

when they negotiate
so he gets used to me.

That's what we'll do.

If I try to get into Kobi's mind
he knows that at some stage

that this person with whom
he is negotiating,

whose trust he gained,
and now they've become friends

and having a nice conversation

He understands at some stage
that he will be killed in the end.

How do we ensure
they don't blow up the bus

after Dovi kills the commander?

The terrorist with the briefcase bomb
is in the back of the bus

and a sniper has his eye on him
at all times.

Secondly, after Dovi shoots,
the whole business will be over in seconds.

Ariel,

what's your assessment?

I wouldn't be in such a hurry
to storm the bus.

The question was how to continue
managing the event.

Everyone reported on their angle.

I said that in terms of negotiations,
if ever there was an event with a chance

to convince the terrorists to surrender
it was in this event.

It is our impression,
both Kobi's

and the rest of the team,
that we're dealing with amateurs.

They let a hostage off midway.
That's a fundamental mistake

that shows total lack of understanding
of how to conduct an event such as this.

Then there's their conduct
during the pursuit and at the road blocks.

They never opened fire outwards
and didn't harm the hostages.

They couldn't stop the driver
and some passengers

from escaping the bus when it stopped,

they gave us 24 hours
to comply with their demands, which is...

Sir,

I questioned the driver
and the people who escaped,

I agree with Merari's assessment

but not with the conclusion.

Yes, they seem like amateurs,
but that makes them less predictable.

I don't remember what they said,

if there are explosives or not.

We approached them
as if they were armed and organized.

If it turned out
they were less organized, fine,

but that doesn't change the approach

because there can always be surprises.

If ever there was a prospect

of ending such an event with negotiations
leading to surrender,

this is it.

They have no action plan,
their demands are all confused.

They may be confused,
but when one of them is holding a grenade

that's more worrisome than reassuring.

The terrorists were agitated,

they saw and heard the commotion,

they sensed that something was going on,

surely they heard the choppers
when they landed.

We could easily have
a vast amount of casualties on our hands.

We have to end this
as quickly as possible.

How do we make sure
that the hostages remain unharmed

in such close quarters?

The men train for this type of event,
they know what to do.

Can I tell you that
there is zero percent chance

that hostages will be harmed?
I can't say such a thing.

But I can assure you,
we'll reduce that odd to a minimum.

I had complete faith
in the Sayeret Matkal unit, and its commander,

so I had no doubts,
no qualms,

it all seemed very straightforward

and they'd do
what has to be done.

When Kobi kept reassuring the hijackers
and talking to them

and saying their demands will be met,

he achieved the goal, a partial goal,

but at any time
one of the terrorists

couldhave caused irreversible damage.

The hijackers want the light turned on.

Great, I can take pictures again.

Fuck that.
Mark my words,

they won't do anything in this darkness,
they'll wait until morning,

I'm going home to bed.

What? What about me?
How will I get back to Tel Aviv?

Take a bus.
I heard Bus 300 gets there...

I'm glad you're amused.
-Have fun

and don't leave
without the photo of Arens.

Natan Zahavi went home at one point.

There wasn't much to do,

I took pictures of the bus
with a long lens

and everyone was waiting
for something to happen.

But it was a very long wait,

the tension was insane
because you know when it happens

it'll last a few seconds.

I think my boyfriend proposed to me.

You think?

Yes, I was getting on the bus,

he was across the street.

He said something
but I couldn't hear,

so I opened the window
and a truck drove by...

He was far away, I couldn't...

I'll call him when I get home.

If we get home.

We will, don't worry.

Anything could happen.

Assuming you get married,
when will it happen?

After I get out of the army,
I think.

Right after?

Yes, why put off a good thing?

I wish my mind worked that way.

Jamal!

We got all of what you requested.

I'll open the door,
place it on the stairs.

Go give them the stuff.

You, come here.

You bring it in.

I'll open the door,
you bring it in,

but don't talk to them,
understand?

Yes.

You listen and that's it.

I told you,
he smokes a lot.

Want one?
Want a cigarette?

No.

We're done.

It was a long night,

it seemed like an eternity.

Time goes by and...

you're terrified,
you don't know what to expect.

One person wrote a will,

one told us about

his son's Bar Mitzvah,
due to take place in a few days.

While trying to gauge the situation

it was clear to me that...

either they'll blow us up
because their demands aren't met or...

a rescue operation, that won't stand a chance
because they'll activate the bomb.

So many thoughts
raced through my mind.

I admired the mother who got her children out
and escaped with them.

I thought I was lucky to be there alone
and not with my daughter.

I thought of what would happen
if we don't survive,

if we won't get out.

At one point they brought in
water and blankets.

The terrorists gave Irit the permission

to walk among the wounded
and give them water.

She tended to Shosh Hagi,
she tended to Yochanan,

she took care of people who didn't feel well,
not only the wounded.

She was so confident.

She asked every passenger
if they need anything.

"Do you want some water?
Are you all right?"

Here's a blanket.

Here.

Water.

Here's a blanket.

Irit helped me,
she bandaged me up,

she gave me a blanket, water,
she sat with me through the night.

We'll be fine.

Thank you, sweetheart.

Shai, I want to make sure
there are no loose ends.

My men are ready,

each team at their entry point,
the snipers are deployed,

10 seconds after Dov opens fire -
we're on the bus.

I approved the plan
down to the last detail,

I felt that everything was ready.

I suggest we do it
as soon as possible

because in two hours it'll be daylight
and that'll change the whole picture.

Dawn meant that the troops
are liable to be seen

and we'll lose
the element of surprise.

But there was another
very significant issue,

what does the enemy feel?

In the early hours of the morning
people are drowsy,

but when the sun comes up,
even a tired person wakes up.

The Matkal commander and I
showed the plan to the Chief of Staff

and I suggested we prepare immediately
to take over the bus.

The Chief of Staff agreed,
as did everyone in the room,

that we have to get this over
at night.

Had the sun come up

and the State of Israel
were to wake up to a terrorist hijacking

with hostages
that had not yet been resolved,

the media would have a field day,
the pressure would be on

from the public, the families,
the politicians

and the situation
would be much worse.

Hey,

did you talk to them?

Didn't you think of escaping?

It'll take a long time
to release all 500 terrorists...

When negotiations began,
they demanded 500 terrorists

and I thought,
500 terrorists in exchange for us?

Of course the government
will authorize it,

I was so naive,

of course they'll release 500 terrorists
and this will be over.

Remember Maalot? Entebbe?
They never release prisoners,

first they try to rescue.

What do you mean, rescue?

They'll come in here?

Yes.

It's so cramped,
how will they tell us apart?

What you have to do

is crouch down as low as you can,
right under the seats.

I have to pee.

We sat there for hours,
I didn't drink any water or coffee

because I knew that if I get up
something bad will happen.

I said to Irit:

Listen, I have to pee.
What do I do? I'm scared.

She said:
Get up, I'll go with you.

Irit goes first,
I walk slowly between the seats,

I get closer,
the terrorist allowed us to.

Jamal.

There's a problem with the prisoners.
We have to talk. -Talk.

It can't be done
based on their sentences.

Each organization wants to decide
which of their people will be released.

So be it.

You have to tell me
how many you want us to release...

Once he opens fire,
the troops storm the bus.

And total silence
turns into total chaos,

whoever is outside
starts to panic.

I hear the gunfire
and I get down on the floor.

A bullet flew over my head,
it actually grazed my hair,

I crouched into the seat
as much as I could,

Irit hunched over, too,
and we waited there

for what seemed like forever.

I closed my eyes,
thinking this is the end.

I didn't think I'd get out alive.

I moved back
because I was afraid,

all the shooting and pandemonium,
it was insane.

I was sure everyone was in the bus
with the army taking pictures.

I thought, I'm in trouble here.
I'm working for this new newspaper

and I'm already screwing up,

I have no shots
of the takeover.

One, two, three minutes later
it was all over.

Suddenly I hear, "Clear out."

I ran to the front of the bus.

I just flew through the air

because there were so many wounded people
in the aisle and within seconds I was out.

They broke the back window,
removed the wounded, but not me.

When they shot the terrorist,
his blood was all over me

and they thought I was dead.

I said something like,
"What about me?"

And in a second I was lifted up
and removed through the back window.

I was bummed out,

the big predators ate the meat
and left me some bones,

I took pictures of the wounded,
the stretchers...

I think it was my first time

as a photojournalist
that I photographed dead bodies.

But I was bummed

because I had a job to do and...

I didn't deliver.

I knew that the takeover

would provide the strongest photos.

I saw what went on,

it was like an action movie.

I've experienced
many combat situations,

including in tanks
and against Hezbollah.

Combat in view of rescuing hostages
is the most difficult of all.

It's the most extreme form
of combat there is

and everything happens
in tenths of a second.

That fast.

After the takeover
I went inside the bus.

Don't look at me!
Turn away.

Calm down.

Officer Nir was standing over
one of the terrorists with a gun.

He said: Shai,
what do I do with this terrorist?

I said: Kill him.
This is a military operation.

He looked at me and said:
Kill him?

And then I think
it was Doron Kempel who said:

Shai, I have another terrorist here.

In units that deal
in spilling blood

there must be people

who are not eager
to carry out these tasks.

The people who carry out these tasks
must be deeply educated

to carry out operations of this kind.

It was much harder to decide
to take them captive.

It was a much harder
to decide not to kill them.

You reach a certain line
and you stop there.

Itzik Mordechai walked up behind me.

Again, we're talking about
a courageous man,

he walks the walk.

He walked in despite the risk
of an explosive

as opposed to some people
who are heroes after the fact.

He stood there.

The terrorist in front was killed,
the other was killed from external fire.

We advanced to where
Irit Portogess was lying.

I couldn't believe it, I said:
It can't be Irit.

I see her and I can't believe it.

How can this be?
Irit was next to me.

The thought that Irit got killed
was unbearable.

I didn't know
Irit Portogess beforehand,

and there's a reason
I called Irit an angel

because she was there for me
the whole night long.

Nobody can ever know, but some people
believed and said

that when she got up
it was in order to help me,

that she wanted to run to the back of the bus
and help me.

That thought weighs heavy on me.

I never denied it, or said it wasn't true

Even though nobody can really know.

and I thought that for her parents

it would be easier to think
that that's what happened.

It's obvious

that if we were to give in

to the terrorists' demands

we'd be encouraging more hijackings

so the intuitive approach

the decision makers must adopt

is not to give in to those terms.

There's always the issue

that people are liable to be killed,

that people are liable to die

when you adhere to the rule
that their terms won't be met.

Whoever was confronted
with that dilemma

knows what I'm talking about.

We supposedly paid a small price
on Bus 300,

one young woman was killed,

but the price is eternal,

a young woman died.

That's one person,

but it's a life
and it's everything.

Pick him up.

There were two terrorists on the bus
who were subdued.

What I wanted to know
was the overall number of terrorists,

if the briefcase was booby-trapped
and if there were additional explosives.

I removed the cartridge
from my gun

and I aggressively questioned them

as to the presence of more terrorists
and more explosives.

Are there any more explosives?
-No, no, no.

Our largest fear was that one
terrorist ,or more, were still alive,

and if they toss
a grenade or two in all that chaos

or fire a barrage of bullets,
it could end in a huge tragedy.

Take him to the Shin Bet for questioning.

Guys, take him off the bus.

Take the other one, too.

Ultimately,

I think the policy was correct,
the performance was good,

and the right decisions were made
at the right time and carried out well.

Everything that happened later
with the "Bus 300 affair"

with all the developments
and complications,

that's a story
for another movie...

It was pitch black,

I saw two men
holding up a man between them.

I was sure it was a wounded passenger
being taken off the bus.

And I took the shot.

When the flash of the camera goes off,

it blinds you and it blinds them.

But once I took a picture
of the two men who were leading him

they jumped on me and said:
Give us the film.

When a budding photojournalist is told:

"Give us the film,"
that's the last thing he does.

I removed the film from my other camera
where I had photos of the Likud convention

and the other film
with that one and only frame,

I put in my sock.