Nikki Finke interviews Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center

Q: So what are your feelings about this Mel Gibson story?

A: Look, the issue with Mel Gibson is very simple. Mel Gibson is driving under intoxication. There are no Jews in sight. He can blame his car, he can blame his liquor, he can blame the sheriff. But he can't blame any Jews because there are none around. That's precisely who he blames. Yet that's the problem. That shows he has a problem with Jews. And there's an old Yiddish saying, which loses a lot in translation, "What someone drunk has on his tongue comes from his conscience when he is not drunk." My point is that, even if you look at his apology itself, in the nature of the apology he knew exactly what he'd said. And though doesn't specially address anti-Semitism, you can see that long apology he has it in mind he knows he said that.

Q: Are you convinced Gibson is anti-Semitic?

A: What does Mel Gibson want from the Jews? It's amazing to me he previously denies he shares any of his father's beliefs. But his father says the Holocaust is a hoax, and its numbers are exaggerated. Now it turns out he also has an issue with Jews. It's not just his father that is a problem.

Q: And you're calling on him to drop plans to produce a Holocaust movie for ABC?

A: It seems inconceivable that he should given these cirumstances to make, in the future, a film about the Holocaust. That would be like getting somebody that has a past association with the KKK to do a film on African-Americans. The African-Americans would be up in arms. That's the way Jews feel. If you don't like the Jews, don't do a film about the central issue of modern Jewish history, the Holocaust. It's insensitive to their feelings, especially if you don't like them. That's why I think he should drop out. This is not a film he could do.