Post by Fr David Neuhaus SJ | 31 July 2026
Anglican Church on Palestine/Israel
On July 13, 2026, the Church of England’s General Synod committed itself to “stand in solidarity” with Palestinian Christians and “hear” their experiences of discrimination, occupation, and genocide, while, at the same time, opposing antisemitism and Islamophobia. The carefully worded resolution reflected the fierce debates within the synod. How can Christians stand in full solidarity with Palestinians as they experience the horrors of discrimination, occupation, and genocide while at the same time standing firm against all forms of anti-Judaism, antisemitism, and Islamophobia?
The text of the resolution reads as follows:
‘That this Synod respond to the call of Palestinian Christians to stand in solidarity with them and their fellow Palestinians in non-violent resistance to the ongoing occupation. We lament the loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives and the violations of human dignity and rights on both sides, as well as the displacement of population. We commit to a better understanding of the situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, seeking peace and security for all the peoples of those lands and pursuing that which leads to the establishment of a just and lasting peace.
In particular, we:
- reject antisemitism, anti-Muslim hostility and all forms of prejudice based on religious affiliation and ethnicity;
- acknowledge with repentance the Church’s historic contribution to antisemitism and to the situation now affecting the Palestinian people, reaffirm our commitment to inter-faith dialogue, including Christian-Jewish dialogue and encourage a deeper understanding of Judaism and other faiths;
- pray for all victims of the current conflicts in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory and for a lasting peace;
- hear the Kairos Palestine Declaration (2009), the Cry for Hope (2020), the Call for Repentance (2023) and Kairos Palestine II (2025) as heartfelt expressions of the lived experience of Palestinian Christians and:
- encourage the Church of England at all levels to engage with those documents as part of a quest for greater understanding of the situation;
- ask the Faith and Public Life Division to commend resources that enable Dioceses and local churches to promote a full understanding of the situation and to respond through prayer, theological study, advocacy and practical support for the work undertaken by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and other Churches in the service of the people of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory;
- encourage the Church of England at all levels to engage with those documents as part of a quest for greater understanding of the situation, alongside continued dialogue with Jewish and Muslim voices in the pursuit of justice, equality, peace and reconciliation;
- call on Church investors to implement and demonstrate a leading approach to responsible investment relating to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and:
- to review their investment policies in the light of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 on the illegality of the occupation of Palestinian territory;
- to request the Church Commissioners and Church of England Pensions Board to report back, on a triennium basis, on the progress and success of their approaches;
- the bodies named above to support the EIAG to develop guidance for wider Church of England investors on how to manage human rights risks relating to occupied territories and conflict.
- ask His Majesty’s Government to work urgently for a lasting peace in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, that will ensure safety and security for all parties and the upholding of the rights and inherent dignity of all people.’
The Church of England’s resolution is a step in the right direction however cautious and diplomatically worded. There is still a way to go before we might not only “hear” the cry of Palestinians but also commit to help end Israeli impunity, actively promoting equality, justice and peace in Palestine/Israel. Father Rito Maresca, Coordinator of the International Network “Priests Against Genocide” writes onthe Church of England’s attempt to speak clearly about Palestine, and the Italian Church’s struggle – not yet won – to do the same. His words ring true for the Catholic Church as a whole and many other Christian communities.
Read Father Maresca’s analysis here: https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/55535