The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, spoke warmly of Israel and expressed dismay at its lack of support from some fellow clergy when he addressed a Berkshire Council of Christians and Jews meeting at Maidenhead Synagogue.

Taking audience questions after his talk on "Moral dilemmas facing the human family", he spoke of his disappointment at backers of boycott campaigns, which were "not the answer". He reminded his audience that "half our Bible is Jewish".

In his lecture, Lord Carey highlighted "modern iniquities" that needed tackling, among them irresponsible bankers, businesses paying employees less than the minimum wage and the salary disparity between the sexes.

He also accused religious groups of moral failures, for example, those who condemned contraception when the world was in danger of over-population and many societies were unable to support themselves. The meeting was chaired by Maidenhead's Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, who complimented Lord Carey on maintaining a high public profile and contributing to the national debate on a wide range of issues.