Yes, it’s the definition of chutzpah: A man who lied about his Nazi background, who was a member of the Waffen SS and fought for Germany in WWII, says that Israel is a threat to world peace today–because of Iran.
In the poem titled “What must be said,” published in German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung and Italy’s La Repubblica among others, Grass criticized what he described as Western hypocrisy over Israel’s own suspected nuclear program amid speculation that it might engage in military action against Iran to stop it building a suspected atomic bomb.
The 84-year-old Grass said he had been prompted to put pen to paper by Berlin’s recent decision to sell Israel a submarine able to “send all-destroying warheads where the existence of a single nuclear bomb is unproven.”
“The nuclear power Israel is endangering the already fragile world peace,” he wrote. His poem specifically criticized Israel’s “claim to the right of a first strike” against Iran.
Grass also called for “unhindered and permanent control of Israel’s nuclear capability and Iran’s atomic facilities through an international body.”
Yet another example of moral equivalency. Israel has had nuclear weapons for decades, and has yet to either threaten the destruction of another nation, or to use them. But Israel must be regulated just like the rogue state that Grass doesn’t seem to think is a threat to world peace, what with its being ruled by a “loudmouth.” Oh, right. Just like Hitler was a loudmouth, hm?
Israel views Iran as a threat to its existence, citing among other things some Iranian calls for its destruction and fears that Iran aims to produce nuclear weapons.
Grass didn’t mention those calls, which have been made by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but obliquely referred to the Iranian people being “subjugated by a loudmouth.”
So that loudmouth state? It’s been funding terrorism against Israel and Jews since 1979. Not that Grass would give a shit. He’s an ex-Nazi. Of course he would be anti-Israel. And of course he uses the transparent “they’re going to call me an anti-Semite!” line.
Mr. Grass answers that Nazi Germany’s “incomparable” crimes against Jews and his own fear of accusations of anti-Semitism kept him from openly criticizing Israel.
But now, “tomorrow could already be too late” and Germany could become a “supplier to a crime,”Mr. Grass wrote, referring to a deal sealed last month for Berlin to sell Israel a sixth nuclear-capable Dolphin-class submarine.
“I admit: I will be silent no longer, because I am sick of the hypocrisy of the West.”
What a brave, brave man he is, to criticize Israel. Because everyone knows how rare that is, and how people’s lives are utterly ruined after doing so. Oh. Wait.
The good news is there’s pushback from his own people.
The country’s most influential media commentators were unanimous in their criticism. The website of news weekly Der Spiegel wrote, “Never before in the history of the republic has a prominent intellectual waged a battle against Israel in such a cliche-ed way.”
Once a Nazi, always a Nazi. For the former SS member, let’s give him a hearty Yourish.com mantra: Anti-Semites of the world, just die already!
