Gunter Grass, Germany's Nobel Prize-winning author, has published another poem criticizing Israeli policy. The poem also praises Mordechai Vanunu, who served 18 years in prison after being convicted in 1988 of treason and espionage for leaking Israel's nuclear secrets to the British newspaper the Sunday Times of London. The poem, called "A Hero in Our Time," is part of a new book of Grass' poems, "Eintagsfliegen," released in Germany on Saturday. In the poem, Grass calls Vanunu a "modern-day hero" and writes …More

A German publication asserted it has proof that submarines made by Germany for Israel have nuclear warfare capability. The Jewish state’s procurement of a suite of German-made Dolphin submarines has been no secret, but critics of the deal brought up questions of nuclear armament. There were suspicions that the subs were designed so that nuclear weapons could be placed at the head of the vessels, a claim weekly magazine Der Spiegel said it can confirm. Much of the publication’s evidence comes from …More

Germany’s new president made his first official trip to Israel, intent on meeting his counterpart in the Jewish state. Shimon Peres officially received Joachim Gauck, who was elected to the presidential post in March, at the start of the German politico’s three-day visit. In the exchange, Gauck claimed the two nations are “more closely tied than ever before.” Peres also spoke of the “close friendship” between Israel and Germany. The pair discussed Iran’s nuclear threat, …More

A submarine was delivered to Israeli officials yesterday in Germany, the fourth vessel in a six sub deal between the two nations. The submarine will be taken to Israel in 2013, though Thursday marked its official christening. On hand at the ceremony were Israel Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ram Rothberg and senior Defense Ministry officials. "We are launching the Tanin, Israel's fourth submarine, today. This ability is a very very critical one for the state of Israel,” Rothberg said. “It depends on the …More

Gunter Grass, who was hospitalized today due to heart problems, is still sparking debate for an anti-Israel poem he published weeks ago. Now that the dust has settled on the issue, commentators are batting the subject about in a slew of editorials aimed at highlighting exactly why the German writer’s words were so dangerous. Jeffrey Goldberg, a reporter who is no stranger to combating anti-Zionist dialogue, wrote a piece in Bloomberg in which he accused the poem of an inverse deduction of blame for the …More

Demonstrators in Egypt protest against a return of ousted leader Hosni Mubarak’s official. [Haaretz] Organizers of the pro-Palestinian “flytilla” say Lufthansa broke international law by cancelling their airline tickets. [Ynet] And a German songwriter picks up where Gunter Grass left off, uploading a YouTube video to sing, “Israel, I love you, but don’t attack Iran.” [Ynet] Elsewhere, a woman in Israel who acted as a Hasidic leader is remembered decades after her death. …More

The Mideast Quarter has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to re-start negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. [Time of Israel] The Yeshiva student attacked last week remains in critical condition following his surgery today. [Israel Hayom] And Israel’s interior minister has officially banned Gunter Grass from visiting the Jewish state, after the German writer’s inflammatory poem accused Israel of trying to wipe out the Iranians. [Jerusalem Post] Elsewhere, a Congressional race has …More

An Israeli citizen and four Americans were recently arrested in Egypt on suspicion of espionage. [Israel Hayom] Elsewhere, a Washington Times writer takes on the question of whether or not Ron Paul’s rhetoric amounts to anti-Semitism. [Washington Times] Meanwhile, observers in Israel were apparently willing to pay any price to eat matzah just as their ancestors did. [Haaretz] And an op-ed piece explains exactly why Gunter Grass’ recent poem, accusing Israel of trying to wipe out Iranians, is so …More

Israel's Interior Minister Eli Yishai has declared German Nobel prize-winning poet Gunter Grass a persona non grata in Israel. Grass, who last week published a poem claiming that Israel is endangering world peace by threatening Iran, will be barred from visiting Israel. Yishai said in a statement that Grass' poem titled "What Must Be Said," published in Germany's Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper and other international papers, was his "attempt to inflame hatred against the State of Israel and people of Israel, and …More