Gibson apologizes for anti-Semitic slurs

It was the actor's second apology since sheriff's deputies stopped him for speeding early Friday on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, where officials said he was doing 87 (140 kph) in a 45 mph (72 kph) zone. He was arrested for investigation of drunken driving after a hostile, offensive confrontation with deputies.

Photo: Gibson apologizes for anti-Semitic slurs

The latest apology went far beyond the first by addressing Jewish groups directly.

Jewish groups generally said they wanted to see proof of Gibson's repentance before meeting with him.

County prosecutors were reviewing the sheriff's report Tuesday to decide what charges, if any, would be filed against Gibson.

A civilian watchdog attorney, investigating allegations of a cover-up by the Sheriff's Department, said a preliminary review found nothing wrong with the handling of Gibson's arrest.

Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Tuesday that after Gibson was released from jail on $5,000 bail, a deputy drove him to a tow yard to retrieve his car. Whitmore said the short ride in a marked patrol car was "within department policy."

According to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity, the sheriff's report says Gibson told the arresting deputy "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world" and asked him, "Are you a Jew?"

Gibson's publicist, Alan Nierob, said Tuesday the actor was in an ongoing program for alcohol abuse before his arrest and had entered a new program since his arrest Friday. Both were described as outpatient programs.

ABC announced late Monday that it had scrapped plans for Gibson to produce a miniseries on the Holocaust, saying it had not seen even the draft of a script in nearly two years.

Gibson, 50, has had an edgy relationship with Jewish organizations since the success of his 2004 blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ," which some criticized for portraying Jews as responsible for the death of Jesus. Supporters said the movie merely followed the Gospel story, according to the AP.

Gibson should read about Jewish persecution and the Holocaust and "visit sites where it occurred," Hier added by telephone from Israel.