"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.
See also
these essays
by Gilad Atzmon
republished with the permission of Gilad Atzmon:
Making Friends with Israel
A Protocol of the Elder of Zion Shimon Peres
From Delusion to Vindictiveness -
Interpreting the Zionist Dream
After All I Am a Proper Zionist Jew
The Complete Guide to Killing Non-Jews
As the Light onto the Nations
Credit Crunch or Rather Zio Punch?
Britain Must de-Zionise Itself Immediately
Does everyone hate us? Possibly so.. says Ynet's
leading writer
WHO IS A JEW
From the River to the Sea
In Defence of Larry David
Deception, Spin and Lies
Messing with the Zohan
From Victimhood to Aggression: Jewish Identity in the
Light of Caryl Churchill’s Seven Jewish
Children
Hasan Uncular of Timeturk Interviews Gilad Atzmon
Hatred has turned him into a Jew - Deconstructing Nick
Cohen
The Pathology of Evil
by Gilad Atzmon
Vengeance Barbarism and Tarantino's "Inglourious
Basterds"
Organ Donation and Theft in Contemporary Jewish
Folklore
Bruno: A Glimpse into Zionism?
911 Suspect to become Next Israeli PM because of the
Failed Genocide in Gaza?
23 Proofs of Israeli
Defeat in the 23 Day War in Gaza
American War on Terror or Israeli War of Terror?
Israel Has Managed to Lose Again
Board of Deputies of British Jews: On the Road
to Nowhere
The Old Testament and the Genocide in Gaza
Living on Borrowed Time in a Stolen
Land
Eine Kleine Nacht Murder - How Israeli Leaders
Kill for their People's Votes
The Wandering Who?
