Monday 23 May 2022 08:49 PM Vicar faces removal from Church of England after being accused of posting ... trends now

A vicar is facing removal from the Church of England because of accusations that he posted antisemitic articles online and promoted and shared platforms with holocaust deniers.

Reverend Stephen Sizer, 68, denies his actions were antisemitic arguing they were political and aimed at the state of Israel, not Jewish people.

At a Clergy Disciplinary Measure, the first of its kind to be held in public, Rev Sizer faces claims of 11 separate instances of antisemitism, beginning in 2005 where he participated in a conference run by the Islamic Human Rights Commission called Towards a New Liberation Theology.

He also spoke at a conference in Indonesia in 2008 alongside holocaust denier Fredrick Töben and in the same year promoted Michael Hoffman, another alleged holocaust denier and antisemitic conspiracy theorist.

In 2006 he met with Sheik Nabil Kaouk, a senior Hezbollah commander.

He attended an event in 2016 chaired by Baroness Tonge in breach of an agreement with the Bishop of Guildford forbidding him speaking or writing on any theme related to the situation in the Middle East and its historical backdrop.

The vicar is also accused of posting antisemitic material online, including posting a link to an article in 2010 called 'The Mother of All Coincidences' which sought to blame Israel for the 911 attacks in New York.

He later defended this post on Australian radio.

Five years later he posted a link to another article on the same theme entitled '911/Israel did it'.

There was also an item posted on his Facebook page in August 2018 which suggested that Jeremy Corbyn was a victim of the hidden hand of Zionists.

Nicholas Leviseur, presenting the case, said: 'Dr Sizer faces three separate allegations, each of which relates to activities between 2005 and 2018.

'The first allegation is that Dr Sizer's actions were unbecoming or inappropriate to the office of a clergyman, that he provoked and offended the Jewish community.

'The second is engaging in antisemitic activity.'

A third allegation says that Revd Sizer breached the Church of England code and caused 'a just offence to others'.

The vicar, who was ordained in 1984 and has a PhD in Christian Zionism, does not deny the facts but denies his behaviour was antisemitic.

The complaint has been brought by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and two prominent members, president Marie van der Zyl and former president Jonathan Arkush have been called to give evidence.

Mr Leviseur also said that alongside posting an article accusing Israel of plotting the 911 attacks, Rev Sizer asked: 'Is this antisemitic? If so, no doubt I will be asked to remove it. It raises so many questions.'

Mr Leviseur added: 'That is not a rhetorical question because of the content of the article. There was only one answer, yes it is.'

Representing Rev Sizer, Stephen Hofmeyr, asked the tribunal to consider the context of his actions in attending conferences and speaking with members of Hezbollah.

'You will need to consider the purpose of that meeting and what was discussed. Once you know the facts it puts a very different complexion on that meeting.'

He also said Rev Sizer has long been a vocal critic of the state of Israel and of Christian Zionism, which he said promotes the idea that Jews having a home will help the coming of the messiah.

'There is a distinction between antisemitism and antizionism. The former is directed against Jewish people, the latter is against the movement to establish a Jewish state in the Middle East.

'The former is directed against people the latter at a movement or institution.

'If his words or conduct have been antisemitic, he accepts that will amount to misconduct.

'His

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