Accusations that The Passion of the Christ (2004) portrayed Jews in an antisemitic way
Before and after its February 2004 release, Jewish leaders including the Anti-Defamation League and the Simon Wiesenthal Center, along with a panel of Catholic and Jewish scholars, said Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ put the blame for Jesus' death on Jews and could fuel antisemitism. Gibson denied that he or the film was antisemitic, called it 'my version' of the Gospels and said 'we all'
Editorial timeline of public reporting, not a legal finding.
- Scholars' report criticises the script and the bishops distance themselves - The New York Times reported that a panel of five Catholic and four Jewish scholars read a leaked version of the script and told Gibson's company Icon Productions in a report that it portrayed Jews as 'bloodthirsty'. On June 11, 2003 the US Conference of Catholic Bishops said none of its committees had set up the group or approved its report. The Times said Icon threatened to sue, and Gibson said the criticism was based on an outdated, stolen script and that antisemitism was 'contrary to my personal beliefs'. Ecumenical and Interreligious Committee Responds to News Report
- Two prominent Jewish leaders call the film antisemitic after seeing it - The New York Times reported that Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Abraham Foxman of the ADL said they had watched recent versions of the film and found it antisemitic and incendiary in how it depicted the role of Jews in Jesus' death. BBC News reported in early February that the ADL and the American Jewish Committee announced lectures and interfaith talks rather than boycotts or protests. Gibson had always denied the charge. 'Passion' Film Is Incendiary, 2 Jewish Leaders Report
- Report that the 'His blood be on us' scene will be cut - The New York Times, citing an unnamed close associate of Gibson, reported that a scene in which the Jewish high priest Caiaphas says 'His blood be on us and on our children' would not be in the final cut. The Times said Jewish leaders had warned that the passage from Matthew was the historic source of charges of deicide and collective Jewish guilt. The associate said the scene 'didn't work in the focus screenings'. Gibson To Delete A Scene In 'Passion'
- Gibson tells Diane Sawyer 'we all' killed Christ and denies antisemitism - Reuters, via CNN, reported that in an ABC interview with Diane Sawyer, Gibson answered 'Who killed Christ?' by saying 'The big answer is, we all did.' He said he was not antisemitic, calling antisemitism 'a sin' and 'un-Christian', and described the film as 'my version of what happened, according to the Gospels'. Asked about the Holocaust, he said 'of course' innocent Jews died cruelly in Nazi camps and called it 'an atrocity of monumental proportion'. Gibson denies 'Passion' is anti-Semitic
- His father repeats Holocaust denial claims days before the release - ABC News (Australia) and ABC News (US) reported that Gibson's 85-year-old father, Hutton Gibson, said in a radio interview that the Holocaust was 'maybe not all fiction, but most of it'. ABC Australia said the remarks came as Gibson was trying to deflect criticism from Jewish groups over the film. ABC News said Gibson had made clear in the Sawyer interview that he loved his father but did not share his views, and he declined to discuss him further: 'Gotta leave it alone, Diane.' Mel Gibson's father says Holocaust exaggerated
- Release, a protest in New York and continued ADL concerns - CNN reported that the film opened on Ash Wednesday on about 2,500 US screens and that a small group picketed a Manhattan cinema with signs calling it antisemitic. Foxman said it was 'an unambiguous portrayal' of Jews as bloodthirsty and vengeful while the Romans came off as kind. In a post-release Q&A the ADL said the film still portrayed Jews as responsible for Jesus' death, but added that it had 'never accused Mr. Gibson of being an anti-Semite'. Gibson said his intention was 'to inspire, not offend'. Gibson's 'Passion' debuts worldwide