Guest-blogging at Hugh Hewitt's site, Dean Barnett writes that it's been "a good week all the way around" for Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League:

Over at Soxblog, I had some harsh words for Foxman as he squandered his organization’s once considerable prestige on things like protesting school bullies and vilifying Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.” I thought with Israel being surrounded by some pretty passionate folks dedicated to its annihilation, America’s ranking Jewish organization would have bigger fish to fry than schoolyard miscreants and a purportedly offensive movie (which I as a Jew didn’t find offensive). When virtually the whole country went to see Gibson’s supposedly incendiary film and not a single pogrom ensued, I felt entitled to say I told you so and took a virtual victory lap at Abe’s expense.

Now that Mel Gibson has revealed himself as an anti-Semitic kook, it’s admittedly Abe’s turn to take a victory lap. While Gibson’s DUI arrest and subsequent rantings don’t necessarily reflect on the films he made (any more than Woody Allen’s schtuping of his step-daughter makes “Annie Hall” any less brilliant), they certainly make me feel like a Grade A schmuck for defending him.

Gibson’s actions are indeed indefensible. Thus, I won’t be taking a crack at defending them.

(Actually, it’s been a good week for Foxman all the way around. His full-throated and unnuanced defense of Israel the past fortnight has also impressed.)

Frankly, I’m disgusted with Gibson. If this story is being reported accurately, Gibson’s remarks are vile and particularly contemptible for coming at a time when Israel is fighting for its life. He was drunk? So what. One can only assume lots of people make it through a D.U.I. arrest without blaming it on a Jewish conspiracy.

Gibson’s alleged comments also come after a lot of conservatives in Hollywood and elsewhere had gone to the mat to defend him against charges of anti-Semitism. Those conservatives included Govindini and I - who stood up for Gibson, even on national television. Neither of us believed those charges about him. Neither of us wanted to pre-judge Gibson or his film purely on the basis of his father’s remarks. I did not find The Passion anti-Semitic any more than I find the New Testament anti-Semitic. [It isn’t.] The Passion tells a story that is universal to world mythology - the story of the beautiful male god torn to pieces as a sacrifice for the renewal of life, the redemption of mankind. It is the story of Attis, Adonis and Osiris. ‘The Jews’ are no guiltier in this story or more implicated in the death of the god than anyone else. The point of this story always is: we are all guilty.

But that’s my interpretation. I don’t know what Gibson’s personal motivations were - and it now seems possible Gibson may have been a bull**** artist, a devout but deranged crank who took conservatives and Christians for a ride. If that’s what he’s done, then his behavior has been lower than dirt. For all I’m concerned, he can now stick his career where the sun don’t shine.

Update: Nikke Finke and Jami Bernard have more.

Another Update: Mickey Kaus discovers "a potential semi-exculpatory angle": "Read the first sentence of the last paragraph of this favorable Daily Catholic profile".