The Church of England’s General Synod voted to formally hear a document titled Kairos Palestine II (A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide), which was co-written by Father Fadi Diab, a prominent Palestinian Anglican priest from Ramallah. The report, published by Palestinian Christian leaders from multiple denominations, calls for an urgent global Christian response to the conflict in Gaza and the West Bank occupation. It employs terms including genocide, apartheid, and settler colonialism when describing Israeli actions. For many Palestinian Christians, the vote represented a meaningful development in the Church of England’s relationship with their communities.
The motion originally sought synod approval to “receive” the document but was amended during debate to instead “hear” it. Sarah Mullally, the archbishop of Canterbury, stated during discussion that listening to Palestinian Christian experiences with compassion and showing solidarity did not constitute endorsement of every element contained in the report. She acknowledged concerns raised by Jewish organizations while emphasizing the importance of engaging with the testimonies of those facing injustices.
Jewish leaders, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the UK’s chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, voiced significant opposition prior to the vote. They contended that the document extended beyond criticism of Israeli government policies and military operations to challenge Zionism and core aspects of Jewish historical connection to the land. Rabbi Charley Baginsky of Progressive Judaism expressed concern that the document contained antisemitic tropes while acknowledging the need to hear Palestinian Christian voices. Georgina Bye of the Council of Christians and Jews, the UK’s oldest interfaith charity, welcomed the change from “receive” to “hear” and noted the importance of maintaining dialogue while uplifting Palestinian Christian perspectives.
Richard Sewell, a canon at St George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem, characterized the report as a plea for assistance from suffering Christian communities in the region and emphasized the Church of England’s responsibility to directly engage with these voices. Mullally’s recent visit to Diab’s congregation in the occupied West Bank preceded the synod debate, during which she observed settlements expanding and warned that Palestinian Christian villages faced existential threats. The motion had been introduced several years earlier, with growing frustration over repeated delays before reaching the synod floor.
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