Michael Santomauro
Mel Gibson and the Judo-Christian myth.
Mon Feb 16 12:54:44 2004
64.140.159.183

Mel Gibson and the Judo-Christian myth.
Gilad atzmon
2-08-04
http://www.gilad.co.uk/melgib.html

"I hope and I pray that you will join me in setting an example for all of
our brethren; that the truest path to follow, the only path, is that of
respect and, most importantly, that of love for each other despite our
differences."

(Mr. Mel. Gibson, Hollywood director, responding to a letter from Abraham
Foxman, national director of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League who demands
some cuts from so-called inflammatory scenes)

"Your words do not mitigate our concerns about the potential consequences of
your film - to fuel and legitimise anti-Semitism." (Mr. Foxman's response to
Mr. Gibson)


I find myself wondering whether it is possible that Mr. Foxman is really so
concerned with the growth of anti Semitism. In practice, it is his own
reaction to Gibson's film that fuels far more anti Jewish feelings than the
film itself. In a non-Jewish perspective, Foxman's intervention into aspects
of the Christian historical narrative is pretty bizarre. Foxman should know
from personal experience: he is far from being enthusiastic about 'holocaust
revisionists' interfering with the Zionist official narrative. From a Jewish
point of view, Foxman's reaction doesn't look any better. Foxman's reaction
leads towards an association between the contemporary Jew and the biblical
mob that put pressure on Pontius Pilate to go ahead with the crucifixion.
This is clearly a very dangerous and irresponsible act.

The fears addressed by Mr. Foxman are confusing. I would like to state
clearly that I don't believe the majority of Jewish people associate
themselves with their biblical ancestors. I do not think that gentiles tend
to do so either. None of the Jewish people I know feel remotely responsible
for Christ's death and what's more none of my Jewish friends have ever been
blamed for the killing of Christ. The majority of Jewish people would never
consider exploiting the Israeli racist 'law of return' which welcomes every
Jew, wherever he is and whoever he is (even alleged criminals) to settle in
Palestine at the expense of the Palestinian people. But the truth must be
revealed; there are some Jews that happily endorse this Israeli open
invitation. Those people regard themselves as the offspring of their
biblical ancestors. Those Jews are called Zionists. Since the late 19th
century they have migrated to Palestine, they have revived the Hebraic
language. They regard themselves as reborn biblical entities. So far it
sounds pretty romantic and even heroic but some problems are entangled with
this 'new' nationalistic identity. It is expansionist, racist, and
fundamentally intolerant not only to its neighbours but to any realisation
of peaceful existence. The Zionist endorsement of the biblical lesson is
pretty narrow-minded. Somehow it ignores the spiritual and ethical teaching
of the Jewish religion while blindly adopting the most brutal interpretation
of the biblical notion of conquest. It should be mentioned that the land of
Zion has never been free of indigenous inhabitants, neither in biblical
times nor in the late 19th century. This very fact didn't stop the Zionists.
On the contrary, fuelled with missionary zeal, they followed their biblical
ancestors in the conquest of the holy land. In their new reborn Hebraic
terminology they named their violent assault 'redeeming the land', injecting
their viciousness with some historic content. As if an historic repetition
is a form of moral justification.

And here we get to the core of Mr. Foxman concerns. Perhaps the Zionist
tendency to associate themselves with their ancestors can help us to
understand the oppression and the atrocities against the Palestinian people
in terms of a repetition of Christ's via dolorosa, the way of suffering.
Apparently the Palestinian people are today's Jesus.

In the film Pilate, the Roman governor of Palestine, says, "Behold the man"
displaying the broken and bleeding Jesus to the crowd. But the high priest
insists, in Aramaic, "Crucify him." Pilate responds, "Isn't this enough?"
The mob roars, "No," and only then does the Roman leader agree to the
Crucifixion.

In today's reality the world says, "Behold the man" displaying the broken
and bleeding Palestinians asking 'isn't it enough?' The Palestinians, the
indigenous inhabitants of the land of 'milk and honey', are now reaching a
level of starvation and malnutrition that puts them amongst the populations
of the poorest African regions. But the Israeli mob do not care, they roar
"No" to requests for mercy. If anything, they want more persecution and
misery. Evidently, the popularity of the high priest Sharon rises sharply
after each killing of Palestinians. Like their biblical ancestors, the image
of blood fills the Zionist with cheer.

So often the Israeli crowds shout 'death to the Arabs'. The Israeli
'democratically' elected 'priests' whether it be Sharon, Peres, Rabin or Ben
Gurion, have managed to perfect the Palestinian's via dolorosa. Everything
goes: massacres, legal persecution, financial pressure, continual
humiliation, assassinations and now the 'Separation wall'. From time to
time the European community or even the American administration ask like
Pilate 'isn't it enough?' but somehow they always give-in and allow the
Zionists to continue the outrageous destruction of the Palestinian people.
Mr. Foxman realises very well that such an interpretation of Gibson's film
will lead western people towards some rethinking. A pang of conscience
towards the Palestinians misery is inevitable. I would guess that Mr. Foxman
and his Zionists allies realise that the artificial myth of Judo-Christian
companionship is about to collapse. Again, it isn't that surprising. A
brief reading of the history of those rival beliefs reveals a story rich in
bitter conflicts. We are talking here about two distinct worldviews. The
differentiation is clearly reflected in the quotes above. While Foxman's
reaction is pretty precise, addressing the favourite Jewish
topic of economy of hatred, Christianity as it is reflected in Gibson's
response is all about "love for each other".

It is more than likely that Gibson's film can lead towards a wide
realisation of the role of the Palestinian people, the new Christ, in
redeeming the world from its current evil, whether this evil is the Israeli
State, the Zionist identity, Bush or Blair. When we acknowledge the crime
against the Palestinians we will be ready to bridge the imposed gap between
'West' and 'non West', between 'us' and 'them', between the US and the Arab
world. It is clear that Foxman and his Zionist associates are not too happy
about that. They feel far more secure in the corridors of evil, in the
kingdom of endless war and bloodshed.


+++++++
"Deep down, I believe that a little anti-Semitism is a good thing for the
Jews - reminds us who we are." --Jay Lefkowitz (NYT Magazine. 12 F. 1995, 65) Jay
Lefkowitz is now Deputy assistant to the President for Domestic Policy. A
sick man! Don't you think?



"An anti-Semite condemns people because they are Jews" --ICHEE.org
I am not an anti-Semite
---Michael Santomauro

"An anti-Semite is someone that the Jews hate."
---Joe Sobran

Another way of putting it:
An anti-Semite used to be someone who does not like Jews; now it is
someone who the Jews do not like.

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Michael Santomauro
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