Gibson's Passion
From Ida Lichter Sir: Bruce Anderson points out that it is the Gospels that are anti-Semitic, not Mel Gibson ('Christianity and Judaism cannot be reconciled', 6 March). This raises the question: why is Mel Gibson promoting the Gospels?
Consider the following background. Mel Gibson belongs to a traditionalist Catholic sect which repudiates the Vatican's apology to the Jews for the charge of deicide (Second Vatican Council); his father is a Holocaust denier; the rampant spread of mediaeval Christian-style anti-Semitism in the Islamic world is percolating down to the West via the UN and NG0s. The film also appears to be a heady mix of love, sadistic violence and ecstatic religious piety — characteristics of the Passion plays which historically fired Christian mob hysteria and pogroms.
Today, Judaeophobia is not politically correct in the West, but delegitimisation of Israel by the intelligentsia, the media and in the form of boycotts is acceptable. Whatever Gibson's intent, a hidden agenda of malice towards Israel and an attempt to undo decades of Christian-Jewish reconciliation is not out of the question.
In addition, Bruce Anderson states that Christ 'appeared in order to . . . transform the ethical virtues of Judaism into a gospel of hope and love for the redemption of all mankind'. Implying that these goals are not basic to Judaism is an unfortunate distortion. The real debate between Judaism and Christianity focuses less on the Gospels than on the usurpation of Judaism by Christianity, which claimed a New Covenant based on the teachings of St Paul.
Ida Lichter
London NW8
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