Does the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which attracts many Methodists, also attract anti-Semites? Should PSC meetings be held on Methodist premises?
Over the last week this blog has carried the news that a member of the audience made unacceptable comments about Jews and the Holocaust at an ill-advised PSC meeting held at the Rivercourt Methodist Church. The meeting clearly violated the spirit of Methodist Standing Orders 920 and 921. Astonishingly it was allowed to go ahead following consultation with connexional officers, a decision defended by the secretary of the faith and order committee.
Meanwhile the PSC has been peddling very fast to distance itself from the comments, even emailing another Methodist blogger with their side of the story. This is in addition to the full statement which I was obviously prepared to published in the interests of fairness on this blog .
That the outburst was anti-Semitic is accepted by all, including the PSC. There is however a quibble about whether is was said inside or outside the meeting, though there is no argument that the person had attended the meeting. The PSC ask whether they are supposed to vet attendees for their views or their opinions. That is a good question and one that the Connexional team should have addressed before agreeing to the meeting.
Regular readers of Harry's Place, the Jewish community blog will be in no doubt that the PSC and their new recruit Stephen Sizer have some very dubious associates (the engage site provides a helpful summary of recent PSC stories).
Joseph W yesterday explained in detail how a speaker at a PSC meeting - not held on Methodist premises - promoted anti-Semitism towards British Jews, even identifying a particular Jewish community in London. She promoted the usual anti-Semitic lie of divided loyalites. Readers can see the full grisly speech on YouTube and judge for yourself. Not only can you hear the speech, but you can hear the applause. Presumably the PSC couldn't vet the audience for their anti-Semitic opinions and applause, but it was they who chose the platform speaker, one Laura Stewart.
Ms Stewart appears to have form. Let Harry's Place explain, and it really is worth following the links if you want to understand why many Jews are apprehensive about the activities of the PSC, including it seems Tony Greenstein who is well known to the PSC's friendly Methodist blogger. Follow the links from Harry's Place:
Last month, whilst defending Gilad Atzmon, Laura Stuart emailed Tony Greenstein this video, entitled What Famous Men Say About the Jews (all negative), uploaded by a user called “Aryan000005“.
This blog is read by our connexional hierarchy - they even send me letters about it from time to time - but after today, if they are so unwise as to give the go ahead for another PSC meeting on Methodist premises, they should at least ensure that Laura Stewart is not among the speakers.
They should also suggest that the PSC do take responsibility for ensuring that known anti-Semites, such as the Jane Green who desecrated Rivercourt Methodist Church, should be denied admission.
Over the last week this blog has carried the news that a member of the audience made unacceptable comments about Jews and the Holocaust at an ill-advised PSC meeting held at the Rivercourt Methodist Church. The meeting clearly violated the spirit of Methodist Standing Orders 920 and 921. Astonishingly it was allowed to go ahead following consultation with connexional officers, a decision defended by the secretary of the faith and order committee.
Meanwhile the PSC has been peddling very fast to distance itself from the comments, even emailing another Methodist blogger with their side of the story. This is in addition to the full statement which I was obviously prepared to published in the interests of fairness on this blog .
That the outburst was anti-Semitic is accepted by all, including the PSC. There is however a quibble about whether is was said inside or outside the meeting, though there is no argument that the person had attended the meeting. The PSC ask whether they are supposed to vet attendees for their views or their opinions. That is a good question and one that the Connexional team should have addressed before agreeing to the meeting.
Regular readers of Harry's Place, the Jewish community blog will be in no doubt that the PSC and their new recruit Stephen Sizer have some very dubious associates (the engage site provides a helpful summary of recent PSC stories).
Joseph W yesterday explained in detail how a speaker at a PSC meeting - not held on Methodist premises - promoted anti-Semitism towards British Jews, even identifying a particular Jewish community in London. She promoted the usual anti-Semitic lie of divided loyalites. Readers can see the full grisly speech on YouTube and judge for yourself. Not only can you hear the speech, but you can hear the applause. Presumably the PSC couldn't vet the audience for their anti-Semitic opinions and applause, but it was they who chose the platform speaker, one Laura Stewart.
Ms Stewart appears to have form. Let Harry's Place explain, and it really is worth following the links if you want to understand why many Jews are apprehensive about the activities of the PSC, including it seems Tony Greenstein who is well known to the PSC's friendly Methodist blogger. Follow the links from Harry's Place:
Last month, whilst defending Gilad Atzmon, Laura Stuart emailed Tony Greenstein this video, entitled What Famous Men Say About the Jews (all negative), uploaded by a user called “Aryan000005“.
This blog is read by our connexional hierarchy - they even send me letters about it from time to time - but after today, if they are so unwise as to give the go ahead for another PSC meeting on Methodist premises, they should at least ensure that Laura Stewart is not among the speakers.
They should also suggest that the PSC do take responsibility for ensuring that known anti-Semites, such as the Jane Green who desecrated Rivercourt Methodist Church, should be denied admission.
