By Rabbi Dow Marmur
JERUSALEM — Even to my untrained eye and deaf ear Gunther Grass’ poem that has created such a furor in Israel and in Germany isn’t great poetry. It reads even in the original like an old man’s rant in search of attention, even though the author who is a distinguished writer and Nobel Prize winner in literature shouldn’t need it.
Therefore, rather than only blaming Grass, I’m inclined to blame the German newspaper that published the poem on its front page, probably with the intention to spread mischief in the guise of journalistic integrity.
Perhaps Jew-bashing may be coming back into fashion in Germany. Though several prominent citizens there have declared their opposition to what Grass wrote, others have come out in support. There was a time when, in view of its history, modern Germany didn’t tolerate anti-Semitic tirades. That time may have passed.
Germany’s most influential literary critic, Marcel Reich-Ranicki has called the poem “disgusting,” presumably because the author compares Israel to Iran and suggests that the Jewish state constitutes an even greater danger to world peaces than the Islamic republic. The canard that states that Israel threatens other countries the way Iran does is a scandalous lie.
It’s difficult to imagine that Interior Minister Eli Yishai has actually read Gunther Grass’ poem. He may have many admirable qualities still hidden from the public, but expertise in German literature isn’t likely to be one of them. However, that hasn’t stopped him from declaring Gunther Grass “persona non grata” in Israel which means that the writer is banned from entering the country.
Alan Dershowitz doesn’t often criticize Israelis in power. But he has made an exception for Yishai. He has written that the minister’s decision was “both foolish and self-defeating.” According to the Harvard professor, the “ridiculous poem doesn’t pose any security threat toIsrae lthat would justify his physical exclusion from the country.”
There’s more of the same ilk: “By misusing border controls to make a symbolic gesture of contempt against a writer, Israel’s Minister of the Interior weakens his nation’s otherwise strong case for excluding individuals who pose genuine threats to the physical security of Israeli citizens. Border controls should be reserved for real security threats.”
Dershowitz’s conclusion is important: “That is not a democratic response to bad speech. Nor is it the response of the Jewish tradition, which thrives on debate and dissent. It should not be the Israeli response.”
Instead, Dershowitz suggests, Grass should be engaged, perhaps even invited to Israe lto debate his views. It would give the public an opportunity to find out if he’s an anti-Semite – of which he has been accused not least because of his Nazi past – or a friendly critic of the stance of the Prime Minister of Israel on Iran, as he maintains.
If it’s the latter, Grass’ views would be endorsed by Israel’s new Leader of the Opposition, Shaul Mofaz, who has just told The New York Times that Netanyahu is making too much of Iran, probably to hide some of his other failures.
I hope that some enterprising group in Israel will, indeed, invite Grass and challenge Yishai’s ban. For all we know, once he’s confronted with the truth, Grass may even change his mind. It happens sometimes, even to famous people.
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Rabbi Marmur is spiritual leader emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. Now dividing is time between Canada and Israel, he may be contacted at dow.marmur@sdjewishworld.com