Meanwhile, Ted Haggard, the president of the NAE who has appeared on several cable news programs praising "The Passion," reports he has received anti-Christian e-mails from some Jews. "I'd guess if I'm receiving the first ones like that in 20 years, others are receiving them, too," says Haggard. "And I'd guess equally poorly informed people on the Christian side probably writing to Jewish leaders."

Joseph Pruder, director of the Interfaith Task Force for America and Israel, downplays any Hollywood-driven rift. "I think it's too soon to portray this as a conflict or emerging conflict," he says. "It wouldn't be the first thing we disagree on. Within the Jewish community there has been unhappiness about evangelicals trying to missionize among Jews. And the evangelical-for-Israel community has been very careful about that."

However, Haggard at NAE reports, "We're starting to see preliminary indications of anti-Semitism, not based on the movie, but based on what Jewish leaders are saying on CNN every night about the movie, making flamboyant claims."

He says, "Without a doubt average parishioners, the typical Baptist church member who turns on the TV and sees the Jewish leadership attacking a movie about Jesus, they are turned off by this. If it continues, Christian leaders, who are doing everything they can to support Jewish concerns and Israel, will have to justify why Jewish leaders are attacking a movie about Christ. It's an unnecessary hurdle to leap."

Haggard, along with other prominent American evangelical leaders, saw the movie at Gibson's invitation last month in Colorado Springs. Gibson, who is a devout Catholic, told the pastors, "The Holy Ghost was working through me on this film, and I was just directing traffic. I hope the film has the power to evangelize."

"I don't see anything new in this film, there's no new data, so I'm not following their logic," says Haggard, referring to Jewish critics. "These are good men but they're fearful of a shadow that doesn't have any substance."

But Haggard insists that "support of Israel must absolutely continue," despite the rift over "The Passion."

On the political left, some are hoping the rift widens. "I hope it will bring some sense to sectors of the Jewish community who have allied with the most reactionary elements of the Christian community," says Michael Lerner, head of the country's progressive Jewish organization, Tikkun.

He calls the Jewish alliance with the Christian Zionist movement "immoral," "destructive" and "opportunistic" because, "They're aligning themselves with people who would prefer Jewish people not exist," says Lerner. "Ask Christian Zionists if they do or do not subscribe to the view that the world would be better off if everyone became Christian."

There have been recent signs that the strong evangelical support of Israel and Jews is not entirely consistent with their larger beliefs. Last year, Christian Zionist leader DeLay told a group of Texas evangelicals, "Only Christianity offers a way to live in response to the realities that we find in this world -- only Christianity."

"Christians have to be very sold in the reasons why we're supporting Israel," says Troupe, at Christian Friends of Israeli Community USA. "If we're supporting it for an agenda of conversion or because of the Messiah's return, that's problematic from the Jewish standpoint."

Lerner warns, "If the ["The Passion"] turns out to be anti-Semitic, it will open the eyes of some in the Jewish community who mislead themselves into believing that an alliance with right-wing Christians had no downside."

Foxman at ADL says he's received some "I-told-you-so" phone calls from concerned Jews complaining about the evangelical response to "The Passion." Foxman dismisses the concern, saying those on the "extreme left of the Jewish communities" such as Tikkun, are trying to drive away conservative supporters. For now, while some Jews fret over "The Passion," conservative Christians cheer it. Janet Parshall, head of the National Religious Broadcasters Association, tells Salon, "I tip my hat to Mel Gibson. His allegiance is to God, not a movie studio. He wants to take the power of film to transmit the most important message mankind has ever received."

A syndicated radio talk-show host and keynote speaker at a large pro-Israel rally held in Washington during the spring of 2002, Parshall calls Israel "the most important piece of property on the planet."

As for "The Passion," scheduled for an Easter 2004 release, Parshall reports her listeners "cannot wait to see the movie."

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