The founder of an Israel-Palestine dialogue charity is to become the new director of the Council of Christian and Jews.

Dr Jane Clements, who is the director of the Forum for Discussion of Israel and Palestine, will succeed the The Reverend David Gifford as head of the interfaith charity in July.

Elizabeth Harris-Sawczenko, the former public affairs director of the Board of Deputies, is to join her as CCJ deputy director.

Dr Clements, who has an MA in Hebrew and Jewish Studies and a PhD in Holocaust education, was previously programmes director at the CCJ before she left to start FODIP.

CCJ chairman the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch said that Dr Clements was “already widely respected and trusted for her commitment to Christian-Jewish relations. A former trustee of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, she is currently a member of the Anglican-Jewish Commission.”

He said that “together Jane and Elizabeth will bring strong and joint Christian-Jewish leadership to an organisation whose purpose includes patterning and facilitating bilateral relations between the two faiths.”