SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 14, 2012
Europe and the United States are delaying action in the Syria conflict -- yielding the field to Turkey. Prime Minister Erdogan is presenting himself as a crisis manager, organizing aid for refugees and threatening to invoke NATO's mutual defense clause. By doing so, Ankara is cementing its status as a major regional power in the Middle East. By Maximilian Popp more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 13, 2012
Jerusalem-based diplomat Stefan Szepesi discovered a love of hiking when he set out to explore the West Bank on foot, much to the confusion of the local Palestinians. He has now written the first walking guide to the region, which is the perfect place for hiking -- provided you steer clear of the military facilities and settlements. By Juliane von Mittelstaedt more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 12, 2012
Israel as the aggressor and Iran as the victim? Günter Grass got his line of argument wrong in his controversial poem, argues Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn in a SPIEGEL ONLINE interview. But the poem has triggered an important debate about how Germany should approach Israel's decisions, he adds. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 06, 2012
Is Israel a threat to world peace? German writer Günter Grass has been blasted as an anti-Semite this week for making just such a claim in a new poem. But while the verse may not win any awards, Grass has kicked off an important -- and long overdue -- debate. And, he's right. A Commentary by Jakob Augstein more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 06, 2012
For decades, Israel had been hoping for change in the Arab world. Yet now that the region is in upheaval, its not just Israeli citizens who are concerned. The government has shown a preference for walling itself in rather than exploring new opportunities. By Juliane von Mittelstaedt more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 05, 2012
German Nobel laureate Günter Grass has taken to the airwaves to address the raging controversy surrounding his new poem, which is sharply critical of Israel. Yet the debate continues to broaden, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joining the fray on Thursday. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 05, 2012
In his poem about Israel and Iran published on Wednesday, German Nobel laureate Günter Grass expressed the fear that he would be labelled anti-Semitic for his anti-Israeli stance. Some commentators in Germany on Thursday say that the fear was more than justified. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 05, 2012
In the past, Israeli journalist and historian Tom Segev has defended Günter Grass from claims that he tried to portray Germans as victims in World War II. But following the publication of Grass's Israel-critical poem this week, Segev argues the German author is driven more by his silence over his SS past than concerns about the future of humanity. more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 05, 2012
Nobel Prize laureate Günter Grass has caused a controversy with a new poem criticizing Israel's policies against Iran. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, the German historian Michael Wolffsohn accuses Grass of anti-Semitism and rehashing far-right stereotypes about Jews. more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 04, 2012
Never in the history of postwar Germany has a prominent intellectual attacked Israel in such a cliche-laden way as Günter Grass with his controversial new poem, "What Must Be Said." The Nobel Prize laureate has delivered a lyrical first strike against Israel. A Commentary by Sebastian Hammelehle more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 04, 2012
In a move that has drawn angry reactions in Germany, Nobel Prize-winning author Günter Grass has published a new poem criticizing Israel's policies against Iran. Historically, Grass has been outspoken in his political views, but many believe the author has now broken a taboo. more... [ Forum ]
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- April 04, 2012
The Syrian National Council claims to represent the uprising in Syria. But while rebels in the country continue to die at the hands of Bashar Assad's troops, the different factions in the opposition in exile compete for positions and influence. By Viktoria Kleber in Istanbul more... [ Forum ]