Oscar-winning director Mel Gibson was embroiled in a fresh anti-Semitism row Thursday after he was accused of shelving a movie about a famous Jewish revolt because he “hates Jews.” The allegations from Hollywood screenwriter Joe Eszterhas came after studio Warner Bros announced it was putting on hold ‘The Maccabees’, which Gibson had been penciled in to direct, because the film “lacked a sense of triumph.” But Eszterhas, best known for writing the thrillers ‘Jagged Edge’ and ‘Basic Instinct’, let rip at Gibson in a nine-page letter which accused the ‘Braveheart’ star of pulling out because of alleged anti-Semitism. “I’ve come to the conclusion that the reason you won’t make ‘The Maccabees’ is the ugliest possible one. You hate Jews,” Eszterhas wrote in the letter, which was reproduced on the movie and entertainment website The Wrap. Gibson, whose reputation has plummeted since 2006 when he was caught on tape making an anti-Semitic rant at a US sheriff’s deputy who had arrested him for drunk-driving, was also accused of taking on the project under false pretences. During his July 2006 arrest, Gibson said that Jews were responsible for all the wars in the world, but later apologised for the “despicable” comments which he blamed on alcoholism. In a statement issued after Eszterhas’s letter went viral, Gibson denounced the allegations made against him as “utter fabrications,” and said the project was dropped because the script was not good enough. ‘The Maccabees’ was intended as a drama based on Judah Maccabee, widely revered as one of the greatest warriors in Jewish history alongside Joshua, Gideon and David.
