The Church of England’s General Synod voted last week to formally hear a document titled Kairos Palestine II, a report authored by Palestinian Christian leaders across denominations that characterizes Israel’s actions using terms including genocide, apartheid, and settler colonialism. The document calls for an urgent global Christian response to the war in Gaza and Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. Father Fadi Diab, a Palestinian Anglican priest from Ramallah who co-wrote the report, described the moment as emotionally significant, interpreting the synod’s action as a statement of solidarity with Palestinian Christians’ struggles.
The original motion proposed that the synod “receive” the report, but members amended it during debate to instead “receive” it, a distinction that reflected efforts to balance competing concerns. Sarah Mullally, the archbishop of Canterbury, stated that hearing Palestinian Christians’ experiences did not constitute endorsement of every aspect of the document, emphasizing instead that the church would listen with compassion and stand in solidarity with Palestinians facing injustices.
Jewish organizations raised objections prior to the vote, with the Board of Deputies of British Jews urging rejection of the report and arguing it undermined efforts against antisemitism. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and Progressive Judaism co-chairs warned the document risked damaging Christian-Jewish relations by going beyond criticism of the Israeli government to question Zionism and Jewish historical connections to the land. Rabbi Charley Baginsky expressed concern that the report employed antisemitic language and closed down productive dialogue rather than opening it.
Interfaith representatives offered nuanced perspectives on the outcome. Georgina Bye of the Council of Christians and Jews acknowledged the document’s origins in Palestinian trauma while expressing concern about its lack of nuance and potential to hinder dialogue. Richard Sewell, a canon at St George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem, characterized the report as a plea from suffering Christian communities in the region, arguing the Church of England had a duty to directly engage with their voices. Mullally’s visit to Palestinian communities weeks before the debate appeared to influence the church’s approach to the matter.
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