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Jews fear backlash from Mel Gibson's Passion
The Telegraph (U.K.) ^
| 08/26/03
| Jonathan Petre
Posted on 08/25/2003 5:06:29 PM PDT by Pokey78
British Jewish leaders have joined the furore surrounding Mel Gibson's controversial film The Passion, which charts the final 12 hours of Christ's life and includes a brutal depiction of the Crucifixion.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews say they share the growing fears voiced in America that the film could fuel bigotry and anti-Semitism and damage relations between faiths.
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James Caviezel as Jesus in The Passion
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The Passion, which is funded, co-written and directed by the Hollywood star, has provoked a storm in America, with Jewish and Roman Catholic scholars calling for changes before its release early next year.
Gibson, a Catholic traditionalist, has defended it as a truthful portrayal of the events surrounding the Crucifixion, and has even insisted that the dialogue is in Latin and Aramaic, the vernacular in Palestine at the time.
He has denied that the film is anti-Semitic or designed to upset Jews, although he told one interviewer: "It's true that, as the Bible says, 'He came into His own and His own received Him not.' I can't hide that."
He has also made extensive efforts to win round his critics by organising private screenings and describing the film as a work in progress which he has already "softened" following criticism.
However, Jewish groups continue to insist that the film portrays the Jewish authorities and "bloodthirsty" mob as primarily responsible for the decision to crucify Christ.
Catholic scholars have also expressed reservations, especially as Gibson is a member of a conservative church which does not acknowledge the validity of the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s. One of the reforming council's pronouncements was that Jews could not be held culpable for Christ's death.
Rabbi Eugene Korn, director of inter-faith affairs at the influential Anti-Defamation League in New York, said after a private viewing last week that the film was "toxic" and would be loved by "anti-Semites and bigots".
He told the Jewish Chronicle: "Jews are uniformly characterised as negative, and the Jewish mob is depicted as forcing the decision on to Pontius Pilate, when in reality it was Pilate's decision alone. There are gross historical inaccuracies, and there is massive, and gratuitous, violence."
In a statement, the Board of Deputies, the official voice of the British Jewish community, called for an "early opportunity" to see the film so that they could make a "definitive judgment".
They expressed fears that it may fuel anti-Semitism "by portraying Jews in an unfavourable light, and perpetuating myths which have been refuted by various religious authorities in the past".
The statement added: "We are aware that some leaders of the American Jewish community have voiced their concern on the matter which, in principle, we would share."
Not all opinion has been negative, though. A number of those who have seen the film, including Jewish commentators, have praised it.
The £18 million production, starring James Caviezel as Jesus, will be distributed by 20th Century Fox. Its American premiere is due on Ash Wednesday, but no British release date has been set.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: melgibson; thepassion
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1
posted on
08/25/2003 5:06:29 PM PDT
by
Pokey78
To: Pokey78
Jews fear backlash from Mel Gibson's PassionOh who cares? Their whining is more likely to generate a backlash than the film is.
To: Pokey78
The Joos? Didn't he do a commercial about running through an airport? Anyway, I like mine grape.
3
posted on
08/25/2003 5:13:19 PM PDT
by
dark_lord
(The Statue of Liberty now holds a baseball bat and she's yelling 'You want a piece of me?')
To: Cacophonous
Well, maybe not so much in Britain, but in general don't you think Europe has a few OTHER anti-Semitic issues? Such as, I don't know, people RUNNING AROUND ASSAULTING JEWS AND BURNING SYNAGOGUES in countries, like, oh, I don't know FRANCE?
Just maybe?
4
posted on
08/25/2003 5:14:39 PM PDT
by
jimbokun
To: Pokey78
The people calling for changes in the movie haven't seen it.
Jews are right to worry about religious persecution. But the British rabbis should focus their paranoia on the people who are actually attacking them. There are people out there who are assaulting them, beating them, burning their temples, blowing their children to bits. But these people are not Christians. There are still anti-semitic bigots in the world, and these people do not hide their identities; they are primarily european fascists, european marxists, and muslims. Not a Christian among them.
There are people who are out to get them, but they focus their fear toward their firmest friends while ignoring the ones who are really killing them.
5
posted on
08/25/2003 5:15:24 PM PDT
by
marron
To: Pokey78
...describing the film as a work in progress which he has already "softened" following criticism.I hope he doesn't soften it too much. I'm looking forward to this movie precisely because it sounds fluff-free and "hard", for lack of a better term.
6
posted on
08/25/2003 5:17:21 PM PDT
by
Yardstick
To: Pokey78
They outta be fearing their next door neighbors retribution instead of picking a fight with Mel!!
To: Pokey78
Who exactly is going to backlash against Jews? The same people who are being sued for reparations for slavery?
Jews are doing themselves a great disservice by whining too much. Wait for the backlash.
It won't happen.
8
posted on
08/25/2003 5:17:42 PM PDT
by
Dog Gone
To: jimbokun
And all of that was caused by a film?
To: Yardstick
I agree. I hope he doesn't water it down too much.
To: Dog Gone
"Jews are doing themselves a great disservice by whining too much. "You are right. They should leave what happened in the past and not keep shouting 'Barabbas' today.
11
posted on
08/25/2003 5:27:07 PM PDT
by
ex-snook
(American jobs need BALANCED Trade. We buy from you. You buy from us.)
To: Dog Gone
I agree. Who is this 'backlash' going to come from? Did Roots cause a backlash? Sometimes the Jews are too sensitive. This idiotic whining diminishes any real complaints they have.
12
posted on
08/25/2003 5:32:47 PM PDT
by
KCmark
(I am NOT a partisan.)
To: Pokey78
Sounds like SJackson, DennisW, and their compadres are hard at work...
13
posted on
08/25/2003 5:38:02 PM PDT
by
ZviTheWise
("Everybody in this house needs to calm down and eat some fruit or something." -- Mel Gibson, "Signs")
To: Pokey78
The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the ADL should immediately SHUT THE F___ UP. Doing way more harm than good. I know I'm getting more and more aggravated by this implicit anti-Christian bigotry.
14
posted on
08/25/2003 5:39:44 PM PDT
by
mosby
To: mosby
Canuckistan these days, is filled with far more anti Christian bigotry. "Take the mote from thine own eye..'
Comment #16 Removed by Moderator
To: Pokey78
Gee, was it like a secret before now that Christ was killed by the Jews?... cause I've known about this all my 40 years and not once have I had the urge to go kill a Jew,
'cept for the one I almost married.
To: Pokey78
Rabbi Eugene Korn, director of inter-faith affairs at the influential Anti-Defamation League in New York, said after a private viewing last week that the film was "toxic" and would be loved by "anti-Semites and bigots". Toxic and loved by "anti-Semites and bigots"? Sounds like cheap beer to me.
18
posted on
08/25/2003 5:52:42 PM PDT
by
VRW Conspirator
(Vote against the tagline tax!)
To: Pokey78
Rabbi Eugene Korn, director of inter-faith affairs at the influential Anti-Defamation League in New York, said after a private viewing last week that the film was "toxic" and would be loved by "anti-Semites and bigots". That's pretty much the same kinds of reviews the play got in Jerusalem when it opened in Jerusalem bout 33 AD
19
posted on
08/25/2003 5:54:13 PM PDT
by
joesnuffy
(Moderate Islam Is For Dilettantes)
To: Pokey78
"which charts the final 12 hours of Christ's life and includes a brutal depiction of the Crucifixion."
Maybe it is just me, but is it possible NOT to have a "brutal" depiction of the crucifiction of Christ?
I am not understanding the overplayed "Jewish angst" regarding this particular film.
Jesus Christ was Jewish.
Christians believe he was the promised Messiah and that the promise of the Messiah has been fulfilled.They await a second coming.
Jews dont believe Jesus Christ was the Messiah, and still await his advent.
Christians and Jews currently both await the Messiah.
I dont see how a Mel Gibson movie depicting the crucifiction is going to hasten or delay the 1st or 2nd coming of the Messiah, or cause Christian to rise against Jew.
Sometimes I think the Jews have lived so long amongst the Islamics, they confuse Christians with Muslims.
I would enjoy hearing the opinion of a Hindu or Buddhist,on this as yet unreleased film.
Perhaps they, as do I, prefer to view the film before they form an opinion.
20
posted on
08/25/2003 6:05:41 PM PDT
by
sarasmom
(Punish France, Ignore Germany, Forgive Russia. Canada-well they ARE mostly French)
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