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A Lesser Bigotry? The UK Conservative Evangelical Response to Stephen Sizer’s Antisemitism
Author(s): Mendelsohn, James; Howard, Bernard Nicholas
Date: 2021
Topics: Antisemitism, Christianity, Jewish - Christian Relations, Main Topic: Antisemitism
Abstract: Jewish commentators frequently lament that antisemitism is seen as a “lesser bigotry” by those claiming to oppose racism. This article argues that the response of British conservative evangelical Christians to the antisemitic activity of Rev. Dr. Stephen Sizer is a prime example of this phenomenon. The article starts by defining conservative evangelicalism in the British context and explaining Dr. Sizer’s position within it. It then describes his antisemitic conduct in detail. The article examines the disciplinary measures imposed upon Dr. Sizer by the Church of England, and it surveys the notoriety he earned in the UK media. The article then analyzes how Dr. Sizer’s fellow British conservative evangelicals responded to his antisemitic activity, comparing this with their responses to other forms ofracism. The article concludes by locating this episode within the context of other contem-porary responses to antisemitism.
A Looming Threat? A Survey of Anti-Shechita Agitation in Contemporary Britain
Author(s): Mendelsohn, James
Date: 2020
Topics: Antisemitism, Antisemitism: Far right, Kashrut, Main Topic: Other, Shechita / Ritual Slaughter
Abstract: Following the comprehensive defeat of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party in the 2019 General Election, many British Jews felt relieved that an “existential threat” had been vanquished. Subsequently, however, a different cloud has come on to the horizon: namely, the possibility of a ban on shechita—kosher slaughter—in the United Kingdom. This article argues that the legal status of shechita in Britain is more vulnerable than previously; and that a ban would have an antisemitic effect, regardless of the intention. The article examines the discourse employed by groups agitating for a ban (primarily animal welfare groups, secularists, and the hard right) and the flow of ideas between them. It does not assume that opponents of shechita are motivated by antisemitism but argues that antisemitism is nonetheless a characteristic of anti-shechita agitation as a whole. The article concludes by assessing the likelihood of a ban being implemented in post-Brexit Britain.