Is Mel Gibson an Anti-Semite?
This whole thing is a stretch. I want someone to find a quote directly from MEL GIBSON. Or an act of Jew bashing by MEL GIBSON. Only then will I believe the harsh accusation that Mel Gibson himself is an anti-Semite. Until such evidence is found, and the burden is on the accusers, this whole accusation is ridiculous and asinine. I love that word.
There is no evidence to condemn Mel. There is only a story of a sad old father, a weird family, and a son who will not stand against his father beliefs. Personally, I don’t think that a son should apologize for his father. His dad is alive and an apology from the son will not make anything disappear. It certainly will not change the father's view point.
Furthermore, the strongest link to date is an analysis based on a quote that is not directly cited (could be a lie) and is most likely out of context. As evidence below the article does not mention the origin of the “never lied to him” quote and it’s specific context. He could have said that when he was 12, 15, 20, or 40 years old. He could have been talking about the time when his father told him about the birds and bees. Who knows? We certainly don’t and the accusers are assuming that it is relevant.
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Mel Gibson's spokesman, Alan Nierob, had no comment on the elder Gibson's tirade.
But Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League said they were the words of a "classical anti-Semite."
"If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny," he said.
He's troubled by Mel Gibson's failure to condemn his father's beliefs, and pointed to a recent interview where Gibson said his dad never lied to him.
"Well, he's been lying to the world, but it sounds like truth to the son? That's strange," Foxman said. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/165923p-145217c.html
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Lastly, and here is the bomb, if one had seen the Primetime interview then one would know that Mel Gibson does not agree with his father. Sawyer asked Mel if he believes that millions of Jews were killed in the Holocaust and Mel answered yes.
To call this movie a dangerous work of art is ludicrous and dangerous in itself. After all “Shindler’s List” did not give rise to anti- German sentiment. Yet Schindler’s List had the same potential of provoking anti-German sentiment. The link is clear. Germans killing Jews in a bloody manner just as Jews and Romans do with Jesus in this film. Yet, nobody said anything about anti-German sentiment back then and there was none. Also, Schindler’s List was not a 100% accurate account of history. It was revised and is just one version of the story just as “Passion” is Mel’s and the orthodox church’s. Such criticism is misplaced. If anything, one should be targeting the New Testament and it’s depictions of the crucifixion which explicitly label Jews and Romans as perpetrators of Christ’s death. Otherwise you are turning Mel into a ascapegoat.
MEL GIBSON on PRIMETIME "Critics who have a problem with me don't really have a problem with me in this film," Gibson said. "They have a problem with the four Gospels. That's where their problem is."
Those who know me know that I would not defend an anti-Semite. That is not what this is.
Being part of the debate league has thought me to look at issue long and deep before making conclusions and/or accusations. That’s what this is.