CALGARY, February 24, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Calgary Sun columnist Ezra Levant, an observant Jew, has come out in defence of the Mel Gibson epic The Passion of the Christ, to be released in theatres Wednesday. Levant, who attended a preview of the film with Christian pastors says, “The Passion is no more ‘anti-Semitic’ than the Gospels upon which they are based. It is a historical fact that Jesus of Nazareth was tried and condemned by a Jewish court and executed by the Roman Army. ” Levant adds, “For some, that might be an uncomfortable fact, but it is a historical fact, confirmed by secular and Jewish sources.” In a comment as sure to incite the film’s detractors as it will delight its fans, Levant observes, “As the only graduate of Hebrew school in the room, I probably found the movie more familiar than most, at least in its sound—everyone but the Romans spoke Aramaic, a close linguistic relative of Hebrew. Even the Passover Seder was accurate, including the customary Jewish recitals. I wish a Jewish film-maker would do such a beautiful rendering of Passover—in Hebrew!—that I can watch in a commercial theatre.” See the full column by Levant at: http://www.canoe.ca/Columnists/levant.html