The Chief Rabbi has said the Church of England’s governing body has made the “most deplorable decision” in voting for churches to “engage with” a controversial document on Israel and Palestine.
Sir Ephraim Mirvis and the Archbishop of Canterbury met at Lambeth Palace on Friday to discuss Kairos II, which describes Israel as a “colonial enterprise built on racism”, which has carried out a “genocidal war on Gaza”.
The document, written by a coalition of Palestinian leaders, has been described as representing the lived experience of those in the region and is not intended as an academic report.
General Synod members voted to “hear” the document as part of a motion lamenting the loss of Palestinian and Israeli lives, seeking peace and security for all the peoples of the Holy Land, and opposing antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred. The motion encouraged the Church to “engage with those documents as part of a quest for greater understanding of the situation”.
Supporters said the outcome was not about choosing one people over another, but about hearing the testimony of Palestinian Christians and recognising the need for peace and justice.
In a post on X, the Chief Rabbi said he “appreciated the opportunity to have a comprehensive discussion” with Archbishop Sarah at Lambeth Palace about the Synod vote on Kairos II and the “alarming and appalling elements within the document”.
“I shared with her the deep pain felt by many in the Jewish community on account of the Synod's most deplorable decision, and emphasised the need for the Church to seek ways to repair the damage that has been caused to Christian-Jewish relations”, he added.
Archbishop Sarah described the meeting as an “honest conversation”, expressing her deep sadness at the “hurt and distress that so many in the Jewish community are feeling”.
She said on X: “I took the opportunity to say that both I and the Church of England recognise the profound connection that the Jewish people have to the State of Israel. Every person – Christian, Jewish and Muslim; Palestinian and Israeli – deserves to live in safety, dignity and peace. I continue to pray for and support our Palestinian Christian sisters and brothers.
“The terrible violence, destruction and suffering in the Middle East have been deeply felt in this country by everyone who is connected to Israel and Palestine – whether by faith, family or heritage. It has become harder to hear one another, but it has never been more important that we do.”
Archbishop Sarah added that she prays for the protection of the Jewish community “in such a time of fragility and fear”, that these challenging weeks for Christian-Jewish relations give us renewed urgency to work together for deeper understanding and dialogue in this country, and for justice and peace in the Middle East.
