German Nobel Winner Grass Hails Israeli Atomic Whistle-blower In poem

Berlin, Sept 30, IRNA - A new poetry volume published Saturday by German Nobel laureate Guenter Grass praises Israeli nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu, according to German press reports. Grass hailed the nuclear technician who served 18 years in a prison for revealing details of Israel's secret nuclear program to a British newspaper in 1986. Germany's most prominent contemporary author labeled Vanunu a 'hero of our time' and a 'role model' in his new book Eintagsfliegen (One Hit Wonders). Grass writes about Vanunu in the new poem: 'Only such heroes are needed in a world which whispers of peace and plans destruction.' Vanunu was lured to Rome in 1986 by Israel's notorious secret service Mossad, then kidnapped and transported to Israel to face a closed-door trial. Grass' latest literary work comes only six months after he made international headlines for daring to say Israel and its nuclear program were the greatest danger to global peace. The 85-year-old author Grass emphasized at that time that his poem titled 'Was gesagt werden muss' (What Must Be Said) was aimed at breaking a taboo by drawing public attention to Israel's nuclear weapons arsenal. Widely regarded as not only a living literary icon but also a moral authority in the country, most Germans support the 1999 Nobel Literature Prize winner for his fierce criticism of the Zionist regime, saying it was justified./end