January 22, 2004

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. – Leaders of two Jewish groups are giving negative reviews after posing as pastors so they could attend an advance screening of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."

Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League and Rabbis James Rudin and David Elcott of the American Jewish Committee paid their way into the Global Pastors Network conference in Florida.

They sat unnoticed Wednesday evening among thousands of pastors, who had been addressed earlier in the day by Gibson himself.

Foxman and the rabbis told The Washington Times they registered for the conference under a fabricated church name and signed a non-disclosure agreement regarding contents of the film.

But afterwards, they called reporters to complain that the movie includes a verse from the Gospels that historically has been used to blame the Jewish people for killing Jesus. In Matthew 27:25, Jews calling for Jesus' crucifixion say, "His blood be on us and on our children."