Gunter Grass
Photo: MCT
'Reaction to Grass' criticism exaggerated'
German health minister says Jerusalem's decision to declare controversial Nobel laureate persona non grata exaggerated
German Health Minister Daniel Bahr said Monday that Israel overreacted to Nobel laureate Gunter Grass' critical poem, suggesting that "Israel endangers world peace."
The poem stirred a torrent of criticism against Grass – both in and outside Germany – culminating, on Israel's side, in Interior Minister Eli Yishai declaring him persona non grata in Israel.
"I cannot imagine that Mr. Grass has any interest in showing up in Israel after the explicit criticism he has faced in Germany," Bahr told Berlin's daily Die Welt on Monday.
Bahr is a senior member of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), a junior partner in Merkel's cabinet.
The minister was critical of Grass, saying that it was "sad to see that someone who has experienced all the controversies of post-war Germany remains marked by so much prejudice and stubbornness."
Still, he said Israel's visa ban was "utterly exaggerated."
AFP contributed to this report
- Receive Ynetnews updates
directly to your desktop
