German writer Gunter Grass criticizes Israel in new poem

Although I love Gunter Grass and his books... This whole poem affair, the first then this now, is ridiculous. Vanunu shouldn't be praised, he actually compromised the security of all israelis. You don't see russians spilling confidential information about Russia nuclear weapons, nor americans doing this with their countries. Sadly, Israel is so much criticize. They are threatened yet people feel bad when Israel defend itself. These are not poems, these are prose. When his country was turning into a totalitarian crap he did nothing and now he feels bad for Israel. Seems like the problem is with him not in Israel.

You all want Israel to be purer than Caesar's wife, to behave in ways that the rest of the world ignores in their own behavior. Most of America was taken in offensive operations many years ago. Germans raped and pillaged much of the civilized world. The overwhelming majority of nations that came into possession of lands garnered from defensive wars never gave those lands back. Yes, many of you are cowards, anti-Semites, and defeatists, but others are just ignorant. Read history and learn who attacked whom and who lived in which territory when. Israel just happens to be a favorite whipping boy for a world gone mad with prevarication.

Some people still speak the truth, in case of Israel very few. May be he is doing so because he is not American and therefore can speak the truth.

I read Grass's recent poem. His comparison of Israel to Iran is only in the area of nuclear weapons. He is saying that Israel has nuclear weapons, and is now advocating a sneaky attack on Iran, a country Israel declares MAY soon have a nuclear weapon. Israel claims a high moral standing and therefore can be trusted to have nuclear weapons. What Grass recommends is that an international body take under control the nuclear facilities of both countries. Let's face it, Israel claims a high moral standing when in reality it has one of the lowest vis a vis its continuous violations of international law and its history of crimes against humanity and war crimes. In spite of this abysmal record Israel claims it has a moral right to harbor nuclear weapons and Iran not. In view of its history, does Israel have such high moral standing? Can Israel be trusted? What country has Iran attacked in the last 100 + years? How many wars has Israel generated in the past decades? Grass is among the the messengers of sanity in our times attempting to help the blind to see. And, of course, they prefer not to see.

Gunther Grass is a known anti-semite.Why is so much attention paid to the ramblings of this overrated buffoon ? When he starts writing poetry that expresses his true sorrow for the holocaust; then perhaps i will attach some importance to his words.

The guy was a Waffen SS and anybody really cares what he writes or thinks? If I saw him I might spit in his face...

Of course we , the people can afford to critisise Israel but briebed and coward "elites" cannot

Israel is at fault, but the politicians in Europe are encouraging it . I hope such divisive politics is discouraged not only in Israel but also in Germany and poets and laureates write about such interference.

he really lost it

Facts needs to be put straight. This is the record: 1. Israel is the party who has acquired land that is not recognized by international law, and the international community rejects these land grabs 2. The whole Arab world offered a comprehensive peace deal in 2002, The Arab Peace Initiative, and re-endorsed it in 2007, and was given the cold shoulder. 3. No Israeli government, nor representative has ever accepted Israel’s withdrawal to its legitimate 1967 borders, and recognized a Palestinian state according to international resolutions and international law 4. The International Court of Justice ruled in 2004 that the settlements are illegal according to international law