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

Haaretz Israel ^ | 26 February 2004 | Amiram Barkat

[AlbionGirl]

In my opinion, they don't want people to believe Jesus was the Christ prophesied in the old Testament. They don't believe it. They don't want other people to believe it either.

Maybe your right, I don't know. The one thing I've always wondered though, but never had the opportunity to ask anyone I know, that would know, is if there is a prevalent sentiment of dislike for Jesus in the Jewish community. IOW, do they see him as an eternal thorn in the side?

Following is a pre-review of the movie by Rod Dreher (National Review Online) which I found salient:

RE: THE PASSION

I saw it yesterday, and was deeply moved. I'll have a column about it in tomorrow's Dallas Morning News. But a few things here: 1) the intensity of this film blasts away the standard bourgeois American domesticated Jesus we get from too many pulpits today; it's impossible to come out of this movie and to remain satisfied with the faith as it is lived in much of America, and even in your own life; 2) I was startled by how much empathy I had for Caiaphas and Pilate; echoing Mike's comments, the movie made me see that both of them reacted very humanly to the "problem" of Jesus: if I were a temple priest, and I'd had to listen to this preacher going around calling me and my kind hypocrites, and then had him right in front of me claiming to be the Messiah, I'd surely see him as an outrageous blasphemer; if I were Pilate, a colonial bureaucrat who just wanted to keep the peace and avoid trouble, why wouldn't I have given this innocent stranger over to die, if it made my life easier? Like Mike said, the religious and political authorities just wanted to defend order -- and lots of us contemporary conservatives understand the impulse.

Which is all to say that this film made me understand in my bones that if I had been there, I probably would have wanted to crucify him too. And, as the Church teaches, in some mystical way, I did.

[JDoutrider]

You forgot to add the word

STUNNING

to your list... (it was all of that and more)

[Piranha]

What exactly is the irony? You have an elected member of parliament of an independent country urging that a particular American movie not be shown in its movie theaters. This in no way would interfere with presentation of the movie in the US or elsewhere.

[WOSG]

Those securalists are uninterested in advancing Judaism. they are interested in financing further moral degradation.

You've gotta watch the ol Charlton Heston movies to see Jews of old portrayed well... in films by De Mille... Ironic, aint it?

[missyme]

I also did not see anything Anti-Semetic, when I saw the movie it was Powerful Jesus never condemed his enemies never! yet we attack people who look at us the wrong way.

We have such an Awesome G-d and I look for the day I live in his kingdom..

[montag813]

They don't believe Jesus was the prophesied messiah. They were to be sent a king, but they got a king of peace rather than the mighty military king they wanted.

Israel continues to be frustrated by would-be military leaders who later prove themselves as cowards. Rabin. Barak. Sharon. All were merciless with the enemy, and later turned on their own. Sharon is still a work in progress, but the Gaza withdrawl is hardly reassuring.

[bvw]

They are over. This hatred we see on this thread ... it has no sustain, no backing, those who hold onto it ... well, that is a weakness for them. Those who can see through it, who can put vanity behind them or who just wait until their momentarily evoked emotions pass ... they have a chance.

[missyme]

DITTO!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guillermo]

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.

[WOSG]

How about the irony of evangelical christians being among the staunchest defenders of Israel's right to exist.

If the secularist elites of Europe had their way, Israel would be crucified (metaphorically - but it could be as bloody).

[mr.pink]

Oh, and, you don't know JACK about the Talmud.

Thanks for making my point.

As for the "luxuriant subsidization" of Taludic studies...I'll stand by that assertion, and especially as it applies to many Brooklyn Yeshivas.

[WOSG]

good points.

[prairiebreeze]

Here is Dreher's article/review. One of the best I've read.

Gibson Was Right to Shout

Prairie

[AlbionGirl]

Israel continues to be frustrated by would-be military leaders who later prove themselves as cowards. Rabin. Barak. Sharon.

Is that really a fair assessment of these military men cum leaders? I mean how can you say they were cowards? They did what they did because they thought it might help. They may have been wrong, even naive, but cowards? I don't think so.

[Piranha]

Guillermo, you are dead wrong. The Torah is nothing more than the five books of Moses: genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers and deuteronomy. I bet that there is not a general bookstore in the country that doesn't have this on its shelves.

If you are insinuating something, why don't you say it directly?

[AlbionGirl]

I love Rod, and thanks for the link.

[toupsie]

the intensity of this film blasts away the standard bourgeois American domesticated Jesus we get from too many pulpits today; it's impossible to come out of this movie and to remain satisfied with the faith as it is lived in much of America, and even in your own life;

This movie shattered my view of Christ on the Cross as a Catholic. In all of my life of going to church and looking up at Christ crucified, he always seemed so serene with a crown of thorns and a slight stab wound. Seeing Christ as a bloody pulp (excuse my expression) hanging from the cross was a complete eye opener. Gibson sent a message to my faith to wake up and understand the brutal path Christ followed to wipe sin from man.

[Chris Talk]

Thread generating more heat than light;

off with us all for a nighty night night.

[Alouette]

Thanks for making my point.

Your point is hard to miss.

As for the "luxuriant subsidization" of Taludic studies...I'll stand by that assertion

No proof...no documentation...no evidence...just assertions.

[Piranha]

I think that a decision whether to show the movie in Israel is no reflection of disrespect to the Evangelical Christian community.

Shas, which is a religious party, believes that Israel is supposed to be the coutry of the Jews. I know no more than what I read in the article at the top of this thread, but I would bet that they regard the movie as a tool for proselytising the Jews, and would prefer that this not be done, at least in Israel.

I don't think that an attempt by Shas to ban the movie from Israel's movie theaters means that they are aligning themselves with the secularist elites of Europe. I am sure that they are not.