Yishai calls for Gibson's Jesus film to be banned in Israel

Haaretz Israel ^ | 26 February 2004 | Amiram Barkat

[Hal1950]

Shas chairman MK Eli Yishai on Wednesday called for Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" movie to be banned from Israeli cinemas, calling it a blood libel.

In the U.S., the Anti-Defamation League issued a statement saying that the film "repeats all of the stereotypes and myths surrounding the death of Jesus that have accompanied anti-Semitism for the last 2,000 years. Regretfully, Gibson refused all of our attempts for a dialogue aimed at preventing this harm to Jews."

ADL National Director Abraham Foxman said he was troubled by Gibson's claim of historical accuracy. "He made his choice," Foxman told a news conference after viewing the film. "And it's to blame the Jews."

"The Passion," which depicts in gruesome detail the final hours of the life of Jesus, premiered in the U.S. and other countries Wednesday, but not in Israel.

Jewish and other religious groups in Manhattan planned protests for Wednesday. Amcha, The Coalition for Jewish Concerns, planned to wear concentration camp uniforms at a New York theater to link the film's portrayal of Jews to the sort of hate that led to the Nazi Holocaust.

"The whole thing is a blood libel," said Yishai, from the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, using a term that refers to a medieval slur that Jews used the blood of Christians to make unleavened bread for the Passover festival.

However, it appeared unlikely that the film would be banned. Few films have been barred in recent years, and the ones to be forbidden are usually pornographic. The Israeli film board, which makes these decisions, could not be reached for comment.

Yishai said the belief that the Jews had killed Jesus had led to "millions" of Jews being killed and persecuted in the last two millennia.

"This libel used to spread by word of mouth. Now the media are spreading it," Yishai told AP. "We should not accept this."

Yishai said he had also appealed to the Foreign Ministry to try to encourage other governments to bar the film.

Jewish leaders have said that the movie gives a harsh portrayal of Jews and blames them for death of Jesus. They have warned it could lead to a rise in anti-Semitism. Gibson, who also funded and co-scripted the film, denies that charge.

New York Cardinal Edward Egan, meanwhile, wrote to parishes to stress Jews were not responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus.

"He gave His Life for us," Egan wrote in a column to appear in next month's issue of Catholic New York. "No one took it from Him. This is, and has always been, Catholic doctrine.

[gscc]

The mistake is being made between the Torah and the Talmud.. The Talmud is a compendium of Jewish law and lore, it is a product of the 3d and 4th centuries AD, and was finally completed about 499. The Talmud is the work that the controversy lies.

[bvw]

Grover Cleveland said "Tell the Truth!" -- his motto. And Guiler, you might, you might.

Anyway the Bible, the TORAH including collection of scriptual texts, was first brough into English by Wycliffe. See for example: "John Wycliffe's English Bible Translation: Glimpses of Truth", at http://home.midsouth.rr.com/ochsner/article1043.html

There Lynda Ochsner writes:

Though most English-speaking people today take English Bible translations for granted, the Bible was not always available in the peoples' common language. Indeed, the medieval Catholic Church held a tight grip over English peasants, allowing the Holy Scriptures to be printed and read only in Latin: which by the late-fourteenth century was only known by the well-educated, an elite club of Catholic clergy and English noblemen. Into this scene entered John Wycliffe, who made the first translation of the complete Bible into English, a first step towards the later King James Version of the early 17th century.

[AlbionGirl]

I'm going to go see it this Sunday.

I'm quite a lapsed Catholic really, and while sometimes I can find a good excuse as to why, the real truth is that my faith is very weak. Can't seem to figure out how to change that.

The Catholic Churches that surround me are composed of almost nothing. I used to like to listen to a local evangelical radio station, but then I heard the pastor say that God winked at divorce, there went that listening tour.

So combined with my weak Faith is the inability to find a sound Church, a sound Catholic Church. Preferably where there are no deacons, just Priests, where the Altar is not treated like some sort of stage.

If my beloved Msr. McCabe were around today he'd be pulling those performers off of the Altar turned stage quicker than you could say, Bless me father, it's been --years since my last confession.

[SJackson]

Historically, the Torah was not generally made available for non-Jewish public consumption….Bookstores, and Amazon.com have not been around for thousands of years.

Uhhh, it would seem to me that if Christian’s were clamoring for the Five Books of Moses, their local Church would have been the logical place to look, not the local shetyl. It’s true though, till Luther’s time, the Church wasn’t particularly happy about widespread access. Hardly the Jews fault.

Face it though, that’s not what you meant. You said

A little research will get one a ton of information....There is no doubt as to why the Torah is not easily made available to non-Jews. Now, with the internet, it's easier to research it.

clearly delineating a time frame. Your statement is complete nonsense.

[Alouette]

Historically, the Torah was not generally made available for non-Jewish public consumption.

The Torah (and the rest of the Hebrew scriptures) were translated into Greek 2300 years ago.

[jwalsh07]

Well, I respectfully suggest that you take your attitude and government censorship somewhere else.

[restornu]

I pray we the USA well always be a friend and support Israel, but this kind of action just shows me that there is a small group who really hate Christains!

This really hurts I do take it personaly!

[missyme]

One of the most inspiring Jews in the movie is the one who helps Jesus carry the cross you can see how someone who does not want to get involved, feels the power of love and compassion watching a man suffer and I thought that was a prime example of what people in our life felt for there fellow man during 9/11.

[jwalsh07]

Dude, I think you got hoodwinked, so to speak.

[madison10]

Someone previously mentioned that somewhere Mary was called a prostitute & Jesus a b******. Was that in the Talmud? I think people are getting Torah & Talmud mixed up. The Talmud is a commentary written by Jewish scholars, right? It is NOT scripture any more than Matthew Henry is "scripture."

[traumer]

was SCHINDLER'S LIST banned by Germany... ?

[SJackson]

I presume the pornography is a mistake.

[bvw]

Your new foundation for a deep belief, it is a movie? No matter how appealing and emotionally affecting it may be it IS all and only a movie.

[Chris Talk]

Jews and Muslims believe, and say, that one human being can "convert" another person to a religion. Transitive verb.

Christians never use the word in that sense, EVER. A person may "convert" [oneSELF only; intransitive verb], but to any Christian believer that means that God or the Holy Spirit [Ruakh-ha-kodesh] has done the converting.

No wonder the two sides talk past each other. Sheesh.

[Piranha]

Guillermo, do you resent the Jews for not marching into Christian neighborhoods over the years with their holy books, trying to introduce the Jewish religion to non-Jews? I've never before heard of anyone who was unhappy because the Jews didn't try to convert them.

I think that Jews had enough trouble holding onto their own books over the years, as massive Jewish bookburnings took place in Paris and elsewhere during the Middle Ages.

Why don't you google Onkelos. He was an early convert to Judaism who translated the Torah into Aramaic, the lingua franca of the time. In my opinion, the English language translations of Jewish holy books that are being published today are following in his footsteps.

[Alouette]

Bar Kochba was a false messiah and led a failed revolt against the Romans in 135 A.D.

I am not aware that he committed any genocidal atrocities.

You would be extremely insulted if I said "good riddance" about your savior's crucifixion. Please do not insult me by making such statements about Rabbi Akiva's execution at the hands of the Romans.

[Libertina]

I'm certain KKK white guys would have been blamed if only they had been around. How "inconvenient" for the left. The Bible is pretty clear than mankind killed his son, Jesus. There's enough blame to go around.

[Guillermo]

Like I said, it's not something that generally published for the widest distribution possible.

It's distribution is limited.

I never "blamed" anyuthing on the Jews, and yes, the RC Church has also historically been opposed to people having the Bible outside of the Priesthood.

Also, the Torah is not simply the "first 5 books of the Bible."

Your slander reeks of a Jesse Jackson tactic. Disagree with him, then you're racist.