Church of England leaders support ‘engagement’ with Israel ‘genocide’ document despite Chief Rabbi’s warning

"Parts of the document use language about Zionism and Jewish self-determination that many Jews experience not simply as criticism of Israeli governments, but as questioning a core part of contemporary Jewish identity.”

Nonetheless, on Monday, Anglican leaders voted to encourage the Church’s engagement “at all levels “ with the document -– known as Kairos Palestine II – “as part of a quest as part of a quest for greater understanding of the situation” in the Middle East.

According to A Moment of Truth, “the genocidal war on Gaza is the continuation of the Zionist project to seize all of Palestine, emptied of its Palestinian people.”

It brands Israel a “colonial, settler, and exclusionary entity”, describes Palestinians as the “indigenous people of this land”, criticises the Abraham Accords – Israel’s agreements with a number of Arab countries to normalise diplomatic relations – and calls on churches to “distinguish between dialogue with Jews and dialogue with Zionism”.
While condemning the killing of civilians by Hamas on October 7, it says the attack was “born out of decades of injustice, oppression and displacement since the Nakba of 1948” and, alluding to Israel’s actions in Gaza, continues: “The claim of ‘self-defence’ cannot stand. How can a coloniser defend itself against those it has colonised and expelled from their land?”

Church of England Synod consider Kairos Palestine motion, July 2026 (photo: Church of England)[Missing Credit]

The Synod motion, moved by the diocese of Carlisle, also calls on the Church to review its investment policy in light of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank is unlawful.

The motion supports “non-violent” resistance to the occupation, calls for resources to enable “a full understanding of the situation” and continuing commitment to interfaith dialogue.

In one amendment to the original wording, it adds that the quest for understanding should be “alongside continued dialogue with Jewish and Muslim voices in the pursuit of justice, equality, peace and reconciliation”.

The motion also acknowledges “repentance [for] the Church’s historic contribution to antisemitism and to the situation now affecting the Palestinian people”.

According to the Church of England, the House of Bishops supported the resolution by 25 to 0 with five abstentions; the House of Clergy by 115 to 20 with 30 abstentions; and the House of Laity by 113 to 27 against 35 abstentions.