A Tale Of Two Peoples

"[My second son Naji] became a Shahid on Mar. 23, 2002, at the age of 20.

So begins an interview with the mother of a suicide bomber.

Before I made my pilgrimage [to Mecca], he put his hands on my head and said: "Be calm, mother, be calm, this is my wish. Pray for me, that I will be a Shahid [Die for Allah]." When I did the circuit [an Islamic pilgrimage ceremony], in Mecca and Medina, I swear to Allah, that I prayed for him... And said: Praise Allah, my children asked for Shahada, and it is better than the way we will die. Their death is for Allah, death for our country, death for our Jerusalem ."

"I have one wish for all Israeli mothers, for all Israelis: They should not relax, they should not sleep peacefully, they should always have nightmares, night and day, wherever they go, and whatever they do... not only from bombings or attacks, but nightmares day and night. They should dream of how the Palestinian people kill them, and blow them up. They should not be
relaxed, and should not sleep. Not them and not there sons, not their children, nor the Israeli army. They should not be able to travel on the buses, nor drive a tank, nor even ride a bike. Wherever they turn, the Israelis should see [someone] and say: "Maybe it's a Palestinian."

"This Jerusalem is our Jerusalem, and not yours. We are the children of Palestine, the Muslim nation, you will not live in comfort: not an Israeli's mother, nor a soldier's mother, nor a soldier's grandfather, nor a soldier's father. No Israeli of any kind should live in comfort. Even in their sleep, they will have nightmares. We will blow them up day and night, wherever they go. And I, as the mother of two Shahids, if I see an Israeli I will blow up among them."

Presenter: "Of course, We are always very proud of all of our Shahids" (To be clear on what that means, see this).

Now, for something completely different. The Israeli co-winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics finds greatness elsewhere.

Aumann said that winning the Nobel prize was a big honor, but does not represent the peak of his aspirations as a scientist. "The Nobel prize is a wonderful thing, and I thank all those who wished me well, but I don't think that winning the Nobel prize is the peak of every scientist's aspirations. The peak of every scientist's aspirations is like the aspirations of every person – and that is the wish to influence. There will always be research, and students, and students of students, until the end of generations. The aspiration is to make a difference and influence the world," he said.

Professor Aumann cried when he stood on the speaker's platform and remembered his wife, Ester, who died seven years ago of cancer.

"Rashi (Rabbinic commentator on the Old Testament-ed) said that the home of man is his wife. I'm very sorry that my home is not here. My home had the biggest impact on my life. She always told me: 'You scientists can write endless articles, but most of them will be forgotten over the years. I influence the education of my children, and I too will be forgotten in another 150 years – but my influence will exist, and dozens and hundreds of children will walk around who were influenced by me.' This is actually what we scientists want – to influence and change. The prize for me is not the main issue. Of course I am not sorry to win it, it represents the fact that I reached a certain point, but the prize is not the point," said Aumann.

Speaks volumes, doesn't it?