I had just finished writing my October comments when I received another email suggesting I boycott anything and everything Mel Gibson. The yet to be released film "The Passion" has created a stir amongst people who have not yet had the opportunity of seeing it. This was one more request I received asking for a knee-jerk reaction to a perceived insult. I tore up my column and decided to start over.

MSNBC's Web site featured a story about a high school band in Texas that felt compelled to issue an apology for waving a Nazi flag during a musical halftime presentation. The show was based on music and images of World War II, and the flag was used (along with others) as a symbol of that period. As they played a Haydn composition later adopted by the Nazi party as Deutschland Uber Alles, the audience booed. The Nazi flag was part of an array of World War II flags and didn't glorify Nazism or anti-Semitism.

The anti-Defamation league vociferously condemned both the Gibson film and the Texas high school flag incident. The ADL, headed by Abe Foxman, defends Jews against anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish bias; both causes are very close to my heart. This same zealous group of Jewish defenders however chose to bestow its Statesman of the Year award on Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Berlusconi denies Mussolini's role in the genocide of World War II. Berlusconi says Mussolini never had anyone killed but merely sent them on "long vacations." This Berlusconi, who in my opinion is in essence a Holocaust denier, is being celebrated by the very organization established to fight against people who share his way of thinking.

Where does the hypocrisy end? Foxman calls Mel Gibson an anti-Semite based on a movie. The ADL complains about the exhibition of a Nazi flag as a symbol of World War II, which it most certainly is. Yet, they look away from Silvio Berlusconi's blatant denial of Mussolini's Holocaust culpability because he supports Sharon's policies.

Selling out the "vacationing" Jews for Sharon's policies, which are not totally supported by many Israeli and Diaspora Jews, is callous and hypocritical. I have nothing but contempt for anyone who practices or espouses anti-Semitism, and I support Israel's right to exist in peace. Presenting a weasel such as Berlusconi, who defends one of Hitler's staunchest allies, with the Statesman of the Year Award, belittles and denies the entire reason for the existence of the Anti-Defamation League.

As Jews, we need to get our priorities straight. We must not allow the ADL to become an opportunistic and politically manipulated group. We have to stop equating politics with religion. Supporting the Sharon government does not make us better Jews, and certainly not supporting this government's policies makes no one an anti-Semite. True anti-Semitism must be fought fearlessly, not foolishly. The Anti-Defamation League has put political expediency ahead of the memory of the millions of Jews and others who were murdered and tortured during the reign of Hitler and his good friend Mussolini. If Abe Foxman can justify his decision to do this, he might just as well volunteer to present Gibson with the Best Picture of the Year Oscar.

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L'Shana Tovah!

Michael
Michael D. Fein
Editor