In defence of Günter Grass

Günter Grass is an old man who has lived through years of turbulence and triumph, anger, joy, bitterness and euphoria.

As a young man (to the age of 18 at most - do the maths, and then ask yourself what happened to people who didn't do what they were told in Hitler's Reich - the Scholl siblings, Cato Bontjes van Beek usw), by his admission, he was a member of the SS. He has though renounced for most of his life Nazi ideology, and taken a strong stand on "doing the right thing". He is a known supporter of Germany's moderate Social Democrat party, hardly the sort of organisation that is going to rebuild Buchenwald.

Occasionally in his intelligent if irascible fashion though, he will make an outspoken comment that rocks the proverbial boat.

Like when he comments that Israel is a danger to world peace. Back, loudly, comes from the current regime in Tel-Aviv that it is Iran not Israel usw (see also later), that Grass is still a supporter of the SS (nonsense, but anyway), that he is an anti-semite (say anything implying that the state of Israel may just be a teensy-weensy bit wrong on anything, and you face that ludicrous accusation) ....

He has slightly amended his comment to stating that the current administration in Tel-Aviv is a threat to world peace. Slightly more diplomatic, but is there an Israeli alternative government with a different agenda?

So analyse for a moment the situation:

1. Does, or does not Israel want a war with (or more likely an invasion of, or at least aerial bombardment of parts of) Iran? If no, then it is not a threat to world peace.

2. Which of the following countries has currently, for certain, nuclear warhead capability? Israel or Iran? Or both? If only Iran, then Israel is not a threat to world peace?

3. Which of the following countries in the past 50 years has invaded neighbouring countries, occupied the land of the people living there, built houses on the land there, moved its own people to live there, and then killed anyone who tried to get it back? Israel or Iran? If Israel, then it is a threat to world peace.

For the record - any anyone who has read enough of this blog will know perfectly well what I think of Islam (a barbarous, pre-medieval belief founded upon superstition and fear) and the state of Iran (a state run by a load of theocratic Shia Islamic thugs). One thing that you cannot say about Iran though is that they have in my lifetime ever invaded anyone else's country.

And perhaps the major theocratic preacher in the country, Ayatollah Khamenei, should be heard when he says that it is wrong for Muslims to kill fellow Muslims (as will undoubtedly happen if a nuclear missile is launched at Israel).

Not to be trusted? Neither IMHO are the Israelis. I will walk along the tightrope between them, point my finger at them both, and tell them that they are both wrong and they are BOTH a threat to world peace!

And that Günter Grass is without question right on this issue, and deserves to be heard!