Sarah Mullally, the head of the Church of England, issued a joint letter with Hosam Naoum, the Anglican archbishop of Jerusalem, calling on Anglicans worldwide to pressure politicians toward ending the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The letter, released following a five-day pastoral visit by Mullally to the region, advocated for establishing a credible pathway to a two-state solution that would enable Israelis and Palestinians to coexist peacefully and securely, with Jerusalem’s status to be determined through negotiation as a shared capital.
During her visit, Mullally encountered Palestinians facing considerable hardships, including checkpoints in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. She met with Christian Palestinian families, including the Nassar family, who have resisted Israeli land seizure efforts since 1991 and endured repeated settler attacks. Mullally also met Layan Nasir, a Palestinian Anglican community worker who had been detained by Israeli military forces, and visited the family of a Christian student held without charge. The archbishop preached that Jesus lived under foreign occupation, drawing parallels to contemporary Palestinian experiences.
In their joint letter, Mullally and Naoum expressed concerns about the long-term viability of the indigenous Christian Palestinian presence in the Holy Land and described Gaza’s health system as experiencing catastrophic collapse. They acknowledged the deep impact of conflict on communities across the region, noting that families in both Palestine and Israel expressed feeling traumatized. The letter referenced the aftermath of events on 7 October and described conditions in the West Bank, including what they characterized as unchecked settler violence, forced displacement, and systemic discrimination.
Church of England officials stated the visit aimed to encourage Palestinian Christians during a period when communities face displacement and rapid settlement expansion. The General Synod, the Church of England’s annual assembly, is scheduled to debate a motion reviewing investment policies in the region next month, with church leadership framing the discussion in terms of justice and human dignity.
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