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March 29, 2004

Gibson's Crucifiction

The Passion of the Christ is the most antisemitic piece of art that I have ever seen. Joseph Goebbels himself would be proud with such a Jew-hating achievement. So what exactly is the problem with Gibson's film?

1. The Book of Matthew describes how Pontius Pilate is an unwilling executioner (despite the fact that all historical accounts portray him as cruelly bloodthirsty), and the Jewish mob pleads with Pilate to crucify Jesus and shouts, “His blood be on us, and on our children.” (Matthew 27:25). That single sentence, found in the New Testament only in the Gospel of Matthew, has been used historically to accuse the Jewish people of collective responsibility for the death of Jesus. The Romans killed Jesus! It wasn't us! Gibson's film has now brought this whole shtick back to the forefront, blaming today's Jewish community for events that transpired two millenia ago. I mean, do you see us blaming the Italians because their Romans wrecked the Temple in Jerusalem back in 70 AD?

2. The film's representation of Jews shows the High Priest demanding crucifixion. This is a fiction; there were enough Jewish forms of punishment in the Temple Times and the High Priest certainly wouldn't have chosen a Roman-style crucifixion.

3. Gibson belongs to a branch of Catholicism that still blames Jews for Jesus' death, even though the Vatican II renounced this claim in 1965. Hello? Will someone please explain to me why it's my fault that Jesus is dead? I'm a Jew who was born and bred in Watford, for fuck's sake.

4. Gibson's father is a Holocaust-denier. He's denied that 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis. Mel Gibson has publicly refused to criticise his father. Ergo...

5. The Rome-based Sephardi singer Evelina Meghnagi served as dialogue coach for the Aramaic used in the film. “As I instructed the actors how to speak in Aramaic,” she said, “I began to understand from the screenplay that not only would this be a blood-soaked and violent film, but also that I found myself facing a story in which the director, Mel Gibson, restored the responsibility for the crucifixion of Christ to us Jews.”

One thing I did like about the film was the ending, when Jesus was resurrected. This was a subtle scene and quite clever; at least it has left the director with an option to make a sequel...

If you're also fed up with the current Israel/Jew bashing, here's a website that proves some much-needed comic relief...

March 10, 2004

Eureka!

'Twas my little sister's engagement party the other week. A most beautiful event, with marquee and two full sittings of 120 people. I was even happy to speak to some of them.

The current most-asked question I receive is 'So, Marcus, what are you doing now?'.

Is it too belligerent to say; 'read the weblog'?

Do you have any better suggestions? Answers on a postcard, or just press the 'comment' button and type away!

Mx