Is Melanie Phillips A Conservative?

Stuart Reid doesn't seem to think so:

It is unlikely that the Daily Mail journalist and international commentator Melanie Phillips is going to be persuaded by the Holy Father. Ms Phillips, whom I know slightly, is a good and honest woman, and awesomely clever. She is a social conservative and a force for good. When it comes to the Middle East, however, she is a no-holds-barred wackado, an absolutist who regards much of the western media as ignorant and/or malicious in its coverage of Israel. Like many other extremist defenders of Israel, she throws around the charge of anti-Semitism. On the day after Israeli ground troops went into Gaza she declared:

"The moral dividing line in this battle is very clear. Those who stand with Israel are on the side of morality, justice and civilisation. Those in the media and public life who denounce Israel for having the temerity to defend its people are the fellow-travellers of barbarism. Having done so much to embolden and strengthen Hamas and Iran, who are playing them for suckers, they are continuing to stoke the fires of irrational hatred and genocidal hysteria."

There is no middle way here, no room for nuance or ambiguity: you are either with Israel or you are against her. Even those who, like the Pope, are neutral, and have called on both sides to lay down their arms, can be seen on this reading to be enemies of civilisation and promoters of genocidal hysteria.

Ms Phillips is guilty of disproportionate rhetoric.

And nor does Richard Spencer:

British journalist Melanie Phillips wants us to support Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Gaza because its represents the “frontline” in the world-historical struggle between “the West” and “those waging holy war” on civilization.

What this “West” Melanie calls on us to defend might actually be, I know not. It probably doesn’t include most Christians. In her writings for the British press, Melanie is known for going after Christians for their barely suppressed anti-Semitism, incipient fascism, authoritarian personalities, and God knows what else.

The supply of this kind of work is ample, but here’s one example. In an article for The Spectator in 2002, Melanie addressed Christian criticism of Israel and revealed “the churches’ hostility had nothing to do with Israel’s behaviour towards the Palestinians. This was merely an excuse. The real reason for the growing antipathy, according to the Christians at that meeting, was the ancient hatred of Jews rooted deep inside Christian theology and now on widespread display once again.” Ah yes, Christians attacking Jews in the streets is really becoming a problem in London — I’m glad Melanie’s tackling this issue head on!

Later in the piece, she does have some nice things to say about those American ‘vangies, “Christian Zionists,” who “passionately support the State of Israel as the fulfilment of God’s Biblical promise to the Jews.” But anyway, since Christian anti-Semitism is so deeply rooted, according to Melanie, one wonders whether traditional forms of the religion should be allowed inside “the West” at all — or at the very most, it should only be the End-Times Religion of Pat Robertson and John Haggee. That stuff’s OK.

But maybe, just maybe Melanie should consider that if she wants the Gentiles to continue to launch and fund wars in support of “the West,” it might be a good idea to stop beating up on them all the time.