“ISRAEL’S POLICY PROMOTES ANTI-SEMITISM”

Interview with Alfred Grosser

[Alfred Grosser cannot resign to Israel’s claim to power. Our ethics commands denouncing that claim to power – despite all vehement criticism. He was eight when his family escaped in 1933 from the Nazis to France. The political scientist is regarded as one of the trailblazers of German-French conciliation. This interview published in: Stern 41/2007 is translated from the German on the World Wide Web, www.stern.de.]

MR. GROSSER, YOU HA VE BEEN ONE OF THE HARSHEST EUROPEAN CRITICS OF ISRAEL’S POLICY FOR MANY YEARS. WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?

Very simply, I am a Jew. When France tortured and destroyed villages in Algeria, I opposed that with the same vehemence because I am French. When basic rights are violated and people degraded, denouncing this is a basic element of all ethics. Israel will not live in peace as long as Palestinians are humiliated at the wall and as long as a Palestinian state is impossible because the settlements and streets are only for Israelis. Territorial continuity is imperiled. One cannot govern with force alone in the long run. I was despised as a little boy in Frankfurt because I was a Jew. I know how that feels. Therefore I oppose Jews treating other people with contempt.

STERN: YOU WROTE LEGITIMATION OF JEWISH ORIGIN IS INVOLVED IN CRITICISM OF ISRAEL. WHAT DID YOU MEAN?

Germans are critical about everything except for Israel. Denouncing human rights violations everywhere else is no problem! That isn’t possible with Israel. I find that shocking. A young German with nothing to do with the German past – aside from responsibility that it never is repeated – must plead everywhere when basic rights are violated.

STERN: THAT CAN HAPPEN.

In this point I support Martin Walser’s criticism of the Auschwitz-cudgel. I see this cudgel constantly wielded against Germans if they say anything against Israel. If they do this, the cudgel says immediately: “I will strike you with Auschwitz.” I find that unbearable. I have always fought anti-Semitism. I will always fight anti-Semitism! But Israel criticism per se is not anti-Semitism. That is wrong and leads us astray.

STERN: WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINES?

The caricatures in the Arab media are pure anti-Semitism. Some accusations of anti-Semitism are scandalous. There are many gradations.

STERN: ISN’T ISRAEL THREATENED BY HAMAS, HIZBOLLAH AND IRAN?

The threat grows constantly. That has to do with Israel’s government not realizing Israel can never be safe with power alone. Other people must be seen and treated as equal persons. Israel may not allow the temptation to arise among Palestinians of seeing the teenage suicide assassin as a hero. How can open elections be demanded of Palestinians and then the results are not accepted? That ruins one’s credibility.

STERN: ARE YOU AFRAID YOUR CRITICISM COULD PLAY INTO THE HANDS OF RIGHTWING RADICALS?

After my 1975 peace prize where I harshly criticized disbarment or vocational prohibition, some critics said: “Communists are also against disbarment.” Should the word be rejected because it is exploited? Injustice must be named injustice. Israel’s policy promotes anti-Semitism. Israel’s critics of this policy also say this.

STERN: YOUR JEWISH CRITICS INTERVENED AFTER YOU SPOKE PUBLICALLY ABOUT ISRAEL. WHAT HAPPENED?

Hard to say. There were repercussions, a few telephone calls and letters of complaint. But I would not use the word “lobby” for Germany.

STERN: WHAT IS HAPPENING?

There is a more or less gentle pressure to self-censorship, silence and secrecy. For example, where are the reviews of Konrad Low’s fantastic book “Das Volk ist ein Trost” (“The People is a Comfort”)? There are very few reports – as with Low about how many Jews were hidden by brave German non-Jews from the Nazis and survived. With such themes that deviate from the mainstream, journalists should always think:”Can we publish this?”