JDL Chief Defends Parretti, Says He’s Not Anti-Semitic

Giancarlo Parretti, defending himself against accusations of anti-Semitism, received backing from an unlikely source on Monday: the chairman of the militant Jewish Defense League.

National JDL Chairman Chaim Mizrahi said he considered the comments attributed to Parretti in an Italian newspaper to be “100% false.” Mizrahi also said he has “the highest respect” for the Italian movie mogul, who was quoted as saying, “Jews have ganged up on me.”

Parretti also repudiated the charges on Monday. In his first interview with The Times since the scandal broke last Thursday, the Pathe Communications Corp. co-founder denied being anti-Semitic and said the L’Unita newspaper interview in which he was quoted never occurred.

“At no time in my life have I expressed any view or opinions against the Jews,” he said.

Asked how he feels about Jews, Parretti answered in broken English, “I don’t feel nothing. . . . If one Jew can say to me that I am anti-Semitic, put him in front of me.”

On Monday, however, new allegations were made by the Italian reporter who insisted that he had conducted the interview.

Sergio di Cori, a L’Unita reporter based in Los Angeles, said Parretti offered to hire him as an employee for $200,000 a year if he would refute what he had written. Di Cori, who contended that the offer came during a Friday meeting at Parretti’s office. Parretti dramatically proclaimed, “Now we are enemies!” when di Cori declined by telephone to accept on Sunday.

Parretti flatly denied making the job offer to di Cori.

The anti-Semitism controversy comes as Parretti is attempting a $1.2-billion buyout of the troubled MGM/UA Communications Co. His principal backer in the deal, Time Warner Inc., has offered to put up more than half the purchase price in return for the distribution rights to the United Artists film library as well as future releases from MGM/UA and Pathe. But some Hollywood executives say the deal is endangered if Parretti fails to clear himself.

The meeting between Parretti and Mizrahi, which included several of Parretti’s business associates, was intended to douse the flames of controversy that have surrounded Parretti since news reports of his alleged remarks surfaced in the United States late last week.

Mizrahi said the meeting came at the request of Yoram Globus, an Israeli-born Jew who is co-president of Pathe. Mizrahi said Parretti persuaded him “beyond a doubt,” during a two-hour meeting at Parretti’s office, that he did not utter the words attributed to him.

Mizrahi said the JDL, a group that in the past has been known for approving of violence in response to anti-Semitism, met with Parretti as part of a campaign to improve its image. Another facet of the campaign includes changing its name to the Jewish Peace Corps, he said.

The JDL leader said Parretti deserved a hearing. “I went to him to look me in the eye,” Mizrahi said. “I’m a pretty good judge of character, and I could see the man was talking from the bottom of his heart. I see no reason why he should be a scapegoat for remarks he never made. He swore to me and God above that he never said it. If I felt he was anti-Semitic, he would have a serious problem not only with my group, but with every Jew in the country.”

Globus, who attended the meeting, told a slightly different story. He said the JDL leader requested the meeting and that Parretti accepted because he is willing to talk to anyone who is interested in hearing his side of the story. Globus said Parretti has not spoken to Burton S. Levinson, national chairman of the Anti-Defamation League, who last week called on the Hollywood community to “forcefully reject” the statements attributed to Parretti.

Globus said the Mizrahi meeting should be the first step in establishing that Parretti does not harbor anti-Semitic feelings. “If I felt any anti-Semitism with Parretti or anyone, believe me, I would have been the first to fight it,” Globus said. “I have my pride.”

Globus, noting that Time Warner stands behind Parretti, said the MGM/UA buyout is continuing as scheduled, though there has been no progress since last week. He also said Parretti plans to sue L’Unita for printing the remarks attributed to him.

In the March 9 article, the influential Rome-based communist newspaper quoted Parretti as saying, “The fact is that the Jews don’t like the idea that I represent the first Catholic communications network. . . . There doesn’t exist a single (media) holding company in the world that isn’t in the hands of Jews.”

Di Cori said the statements were made during a lengthy interview over cigars at Parretti’s Beverly Hills mansion. The 39-year-old Jewish reporter, who admits to being extremely sensitive to anti-Semitism, said he has been shaken by the dramatic response the story has generated, but he insisted that every word attributed to Parretti was accurate.

“I always said the truth regarding that famous interview,” he said.