Grass hits out at Israeli move to bar him over poem

BERLIN — Author Gunter Grass has criticised in a German newspaper Israel's decision to bar him over his recent poem, comparing it to moves by the former communist East Germany and Myanmar.

"I have been prohibited entry to a country three times," the 84-year-old Nobel laureate wrote, according to a pre-released copy of Thursday's Sueddeutsche Zeitung referring to the ex-German Democratic Republic (GDR) and a 1986 attempt to travel to Myanmar.

"In both cases the usual practice in dictatorships was carried out," he wrote in the short text entitled "Then as today -- my response to latest decisions" in the same newspaper which published his controversial poem.

Are we allowed to criticize Israel's policies ? Or is it anti-semite ?


Link

Grass is ultra-pacifisft and leftist, the fact that Israel made cheap comparisons with him "having worn the SS uniform" and basically saying he is a Nazi is ridiculous.

AFAIK, Grass was "recruited" in the SS when he was a kid, but so was basically everyone at that time.

I think it's ironic that Israel does in fact exactly THAT what the Nazis did in the past, "forbidding" inconvenient opinions and making people a "persona non grata" because they dont like their opinion. WTF! I wonder whether Israel realizes they are actually acting like the Nazis, not Grass.

While i myself am NOT saying that Iran is all good and dandy (in fact i outspoke myself a few times already here on the forum in regards to my opinion of Iran)...so DO i think that Grass is right in many things he says in this "poem".

In fact, his poetry was rather constructive, him asking about controlled nuclear programs on BOTH sides, simply warning stating a few OBVIOUS things...with the goal asking for peace etc. in the middle-east.

The fact that eg. Germany is actively supporting Israel by sending nuclear subs there is NOT helping the peace there...nor denying that Israel THINKS they have a right for a first strike.

I am glad Grass made a few people think.

The outrage over the poem and in particular Israel's reaction is scandalous, IMO.

I do not agree with Grass's poem, there is no chance that Israel will nuke Iran so it was just "fearmongering for peace" - which is pretty weird.
But official Israeli (over)reaction is just stupid. I cannot justify it. This is just a witch hunt due to him being German and to where he served and this is really low. Oh ,and tripple stupid.

Even more scandalous that some "politicians" even considered that his peace nobel prize should be revoked.
What do they expect?

That a peace nobel prize holder and pacifist openly endorses weapon sales to Israel and thinks it's cool no one can control Israel weapons arsenal - but at the same time going gaga since Iran allegedly is building one now too?

Makes it clear what mentally disturbed people are in power in some countries...

Originally posted by ZeroKnowledge
I do not agree with Grass's poem

I do not really "agree" either, that topic is way too complex, but he has a point and right to say what he said. If you open your mouth and you create a ****storm coming from an alternate opinion, THIS is the actual problem here.
And the fact that Israel after 75 years STILL thinks "Nazi!" is smart to use as an argument. Calling Grass a NAZI is utterly idiotic.

Originally posted by flexy123

Originally posted by ZeroKnowledge
I do not agree with Grass's poem

I do not really "agree" either, that topic is way too complex, but he has a point and right to say what he said. If you open your mouth and you create a ****storm coming from an alternate opinion, THIS is the actual problem here.
And the fact that Israel after 75 years STILL thinks "Nazi!" is smart to use as an argument. Calling Grass a NAZI is utterly idiotic.

Well isn't that the general mentality of Israels psychotic leadership... that we should all continue to suffer with them for what happened 70 years ago. It IS idiotic, but what is anyone doing about it?

I my opinion Israel is the greatest threat to world security! I'm NOT talking about the average jewish man and woman, I talking about the outrageous politicians in office. They should be force out and exiled on a small island and told there was a single diamond hidden in the sand somewhere.

God damn Zionists... the world would be a better place without them. I wonder how the Israeli population can deal with them and dont revolt against them?

Barring him fron entering Israel is a silly move. Let's say he visits Israel: what damage is he capable of incurring? Writing poems? Is that what's going to devastate the Jewish state? And if his existence is indeed a threat to Israel, there's no reason to publicly announce that he's banned entry. I'm sure the Mossad's faculties allow the organization to organize some "car accident" or "heart attack" and rid the world of the mischievous and unruly poet. In reality, however, the composition of anti-Israeli poetry is not a pernicious menace jeopardizing Israel's subsistence, so the whole affair is moot. There are Palestinian and radical-Leftist poets in Israel itself who compose poetry with much worse statements as regards the state of Israel than the ones made by Grass: why not ban their entry as well? Israel can afford to ignore the German author, just as it disregards UN's frantically anti-Semitic resolutions.

Originally posted by samsamm9

Are we allowed to criticize Israel's policies ? Or is it anti-semite ?

To suggest that Israel targets every single person who criticizes its policies is absurd and hypocritical: myriads of people around the globe criticize Israel's policies, and mostly for trivial and outright-fictitious reasons. Grass, however, claimed that Israel itself is a danger to the whole world. And in the long-run, he is correct. Nevertheless, it shouldn't come off as a surprise when someone who claims that a country is an international peril and nuisance is banned from said country.

Originally posted by flice

God damn Zionists... the world would be a better place without them. I wonder how the Israeli population can deal with them and dont revolt against them?

The world would also be a better place without Muslims, who compromise 99.9% of all terrorists. As for your question, most Israeli Jews are Zionists, and have democratically elected the current government. Recent polls indicate sweeping support among the Jewish populace of Israel toward Netanyahu and the Likud party.

Originally posted by ZeroKnowledge
I do not agree with Grass's poem, there is no chance that Israel will nuke Iran so it was just "fearmongering for peace" - which is pretty weird.
But official Israeli (over)reaction is just stupid. I cannot justify it. This is just a witch hunt due to him being German and to where he served and this is really low. Oh ,and tripple stupid.

I agree to the point, but being inducted into the SS, wether he was a teenager or young adult is no excuse. Wether or not he murdered anyone and commited warcrimes may be unknown as records keeping back then wasn't a top priority when it came to barbequeing some jews so we do not know what he may or may not have done. It is their right to bar him wether or not we agree is not our business.