Mel Gibson explains rationale behind Maccabee film

The announcement that Mel Gibson plans on making a film about Judah Maccabee, the Jewish hero whose story is the reason behind the celebration of Hanukkah, was met with fierce criticism. Today, he finally responded with his reasons for making the film.

A source told TMZ that Gibson is not making the movie to make up for his 2006 anti-Semitic rant because he feels no hatred towards Jews. Rather, he hopes that those who see the film will see the parallels of Maccabee’s story and the modern day church. In Gibson’s eyes, the story is a criticism of church corruption.

Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles was one of the critics of Gibson’s plans, telling CNN, "Casting him as a director or star of Judah Maccabee is like casting Bernie Madoff to be the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission.” He added that the idea is “totally preposterous.”

Gibson’s representatives responded to that, telling CNN that there are no plans for Gibson to actually star in it and that Warner Bros., the studio backing the film, would rather have him just direct it. “They do have the freedom of expression, which we all welcome, don't we?” the representative added.

The Anti-Defamation League, one of the leading Jewish groups in the country, also called the idea “a travesty,” and “Holocaust survivors are aghast,” said The American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors and Descendants, according to ABC News.