The Nature of Things

I could hardly believe my eyes as I read the story in the Times today about Gunter Grass' recently published poem . The poem has provoked anger and outrage in Germany and other parts of Europe and in Israel! What? People are up in arms about a poem? Who gets so emotional about a poem? Who pays attention to poetry anyway? Well, apparently when it is a poem by Gunter Grass and it concerns Israel, a lot of people do. This is not just any poem about moon and June, flowers and puppy dogs. In this poem, Grass expresses the opinion that the main threat to peace in the Middle East today is Israel. He alludes to Israel's nuclear arsenal - the only country in the Middle East with nuclear weapons - and to its saber-rattling approach to relations with Iran. This plus its continuing refusal to make any accommodations to the Palestinian people, Grass opines, is enough to make the militaristic state a time-bomb waiting to explode and engulf the Middle East in flames. The title of the poem...

Frankly, I am sick of Israel dictating the Middle Eastern policy of the United States. The leaders of Israel, most egregiously Benjamin Netanyahu, show a fine contempt for the government of this country. They seek to control the government through their influence with Republican legislators and the powerful lobbyists at AIPAC. In fact, in his meeting with President Obama this week, Netanyahu did not even seem to attempt to contain his disdain for the man. He is looking forward to being able to address the U.S. Congress next week where he will, no doubt, rally the Republicans, his natural allies, and appeal to rich donors and fund-raisers to put their money on the line to oppose Obama's efforts at a more even-handed policy toward the various countries of the Middle East. President Obama's speech on the Middle East earlier this week showed a good bit of political courage in facing down the Israeli lobby by telling them the truth which they did not want to hear. Israel is an ...