a Jewish Western?

Rumors of this have been going round the past couple of weeks, but perhaps there's some there there after all:

Mel Gibson looks set to provoke further antipathy among the Jewish community with plans to make a film about the story behind the festival of Hanukkah.

The Jewish festival of Hanukkah celebrates the Maccabees' victory against Greek king Antiochus IV, 165 years before Jesus was born.

“The Maccabees' family stood up and made war,” said Gibson, speaking on a US chat show last week.

“They stuck by their guns and they came out winning. It's like a Western.”

“Thanks for trying to make it up to us, but no thanks,” Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League told The Sunday Times.

“The last thing we need is Jewish history turned into a Western. In his hands we would probably lose,” added Mr Foxman.

In related news, Mr. Foxman has yet to get a life. (Though who needs one, when Troy will be released in a mere two months!)

[via The Corner]