The Church of England’s General Synod voted to formally hear a report titled Kairos Palestine II (A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide), which was co-written by Father Fadi Diab, a Palestinian Anglican priest from Ramallah. The document, published the previous year by Palestinian Christian leaders across denominations, calls for urgent global Christian response to the war in Gaza and characterizes Israel’s actions using terms including genocide, apartheid, and settler colonialism. The vote passed overwhelmingly across all three houses of the synod after members amended the original motion from “receive” to “hear” the report.
Palestinian Christians viewed the outcome as a significant moment of affirmation. Diab described the vote as moving and emotional, interpreting it as the church saying it would listen with compassion and stand in solidarity with Palestinians facing injustices. Richard Sewell, a canon in Jerusalem who serves as a link between the Church of England and the Anglican community in Palestine, characterized the report as a cry for help from suffering Christian communities in the region.
The decision prompted concerns from Jewish leaders and interfaith organizations. The Board of Deputies of British Jews urged rejection of the report, arguing it undermined efforts against antisemitism and questioned core elements of Jewish history and connection to the land. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and leaders of Progressive Judaism warned that the language risked damaging Christian-Jewish relations developed over decades. Rabbi Charley Baginsky stated that while understanding Palestinian Christian voices must be heard, she believed the document was not the appropriate vehicle due to what she characterized as entrenchment of antisemitic tropes.
Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally acknowledged Jewish concerns while defending the church’s decision. She emphasized that hearing Palestinian Christian experiences did not mean endorsing every aspect of the report, but rather listening with compassion. Georgina Bye of the Council of Christians and Jews expressed support for amplifying Palestinian Christian voices while remaining concerned about the document’s lack of nuance and potential to close down dialogue. Mullally’s intervention marked one of her first significant actions as leader of the church, following a recent visit to Palestinian Christian communities in the occupied West Bank.
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