The argument I thought was framed was
The essence of their argument is that some Gentiles, basically outside of the United States, are very susceptiple to antisemitism and the film The Passion of Christ will inflame their hatred of Jews. That is the argument I thought Abe Foxman was making. It is a legitimate historical argument. It does not argue against movies about Yeshua of Nazareth, only against movies or plays that led to the persecution of the Jews. He really has no platform from which to tell Catholics what to believe. They look to the Vatican for that leadership.
BTW, did you know that every year, every faithful Catholic everywhere in the world hears the Passion narrative, in its entirety, at least twice per year, at church? Since Vatican II, it's read in parts; the congregation gets the ugly parts. You know: "Crucify Him!" It's a humbling reminder of who's really responsible ... then we hear Foxman et al. ranting as though all of these United States were on the very verge of erupting in a reenaction of kristallnacht. It's strong evidence that Foxman et al. are either outrageous bigots or have seriously diseased minds.