"To judge by the outpouring of comments from politicians and writers and from the newspaper and magazine articles in response to the Nobel laureate GÃ ¼nter Grass's poem criticizing Israel's aggressive posture toward Iran, it would appear that the public had resoundingly rejected his work.
"But even a quick dip into the comments left by readers on various Web sites reveals quite another reality.
"Mr. Grass has struck a nerve with the broader public, articulating frustrations with Israel here in Germany that are frequently expressed in private but rarely in public, where the discourse is checked by the lingering presence of the past.
"What might have remained at the family dinner table or the local bar a generation ago is today on full display, not only in Mr. Grass's poem, but on Web forums and in Facebook groups."
The US public is stirring, but remains largely indifferent to the conduct of Israel. That inattention makes it easier for Prime Minister Netanyahu to take advantage of the fact that US public attention is currently diverted to the presidential campaign.
Taking advantage of the diversion, Netanyahu is doing what he always does. He steps up his settlement program in the West Bank.
The Christian Science Monitor reported this week:
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is moving to expand Israeli settlements in the West Bank at a time when international attention is focused elsewhere, with President Obama gearing up for reelection and the West targeting Iran's nuclear program.
"Last week, the Netanyahu government took a variety of steps that, taken together, amount to a significant strengthening of Israel's hold in the West Bank, the biblically resonant territory occupied in 1967, which Palestinians claim as the heartland for their future state.
"For Netanyahu, who heads a right-wing coalition with a strong pro-settler contingent, it was a delicate dance of one small step back and six larger steps forward for settlements."
Facts on the ground are always easier to establish as permanent realities while the media and its constituents are looking the other way.
The picture of Ambassador Oren is by Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times.
The picture from Berlin shows a German citizen announcing his belief that "Grass hat recht (Grass is right)" It is by Boris Roessler/DPA, via Agence France-Presse -- Getty Image.
The still picture of Bogart and Rains is from the film, Casablanca.
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