There has been a lot of misinformation circulating about my book, “Flory: Survival in the Valley of Death.” For the record, I never met or had contact with Mel Gibson or anyone from his company. I was saddened to hear what Mr. Gibson said about the Jewish people, but anti-Semitism goes all the way back to the Bible, and this is nothing new.
After the Holocaust, when my husband, Felix, and I came to the United States, we encountered a lot of anti-Semitism. We couldn’t join tennis clubs because we were Jewish. We were at risk of being denied jobs because of our religion. I would like to take this opportunity to remind Mr. Gibson of all the good things Jewish people have contributed to the world.
My main goal is that the world never forgets the Holocaust. The press in this country has been very active in writing about this case. Sometimes they are totally mistaken. For example, the man who saved our lives and his family were staunch Catholics; however, my husband, Felix, was always (and still is) of the Jewish faith. This has in many cases been taken out of context, reporting that my fiancé (now husband) was Catholic. I would recommend that people read my book before they make statements.
I made a deal with two young independent producers, Daniel Sladek and Chris Taaffe. They have done a marvelous job promoting my book. They immediately sold it to Quinn Taylor at ABC. I signed a contract with their producing partners, the Jaffe/Braunstein company, who are financing the film.
Together, they have acted honorably. It is a shame Mr. Gibson’s anti-Semitic comments have harmed the potential of my life story being made as a miniseries. The philosophy of the Jewish religion teaches us that a person who truly in his heart atones for his sins shall be forgiven first by God and his fellow man.
I understand that ABC, which invited Mr. Gibson’s company to participate, has publicly stated it is planning to cancel the film if Mr. Gibson and his company are involved, and I hope he will graciously step away from participating so that ABC can move forward with its original plans.
This is an opportunity for ABC to educate and inform people about anti-Semitism, especially at a time when Israel is fighting for its survival. If ABC cancels this miniseries, they are handing Mel Gibson a victory.
Flory A. Van Beek is a Holocaust survivor and author of “Flory: Survival in the Valley of Death.”
RELATED STORIES:
Some Jewish groups are eager to enlighten Gibson after apology