Church of England General Synod passes historic motion in solidarity with Palestinian Christians
Embrace the Middle East, Christian Aid, and Sabeel-Kairos UK welcome a landmark vote calling the Church to respond to the testimony of Palestinian Christians and to work for justice, peace and reconciliation in Israel and Palestine.
The Church of England’s General Synod has passed a historic motion to hear the Kairos documents as lived experience of the Palestinian Church and to stand in solidarity through theological and prayerful action with all those seeking a just and lasting peace in Israel and Palestine.
The motion, debated at General Synod in York on Sunday evening, and concluded on Monday morning invites the Church of England to listen more deeply to the witness of Palestinian Christians and to respond to their call for non-violent resistance to Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestine.
The motion calls on the Church to:
Affirm the dignity and equal worth of all peoples in the region
Reject antisemitism, anti-Muslim hostility and all forms of prejudice
Hear and engage with the testimony of Palestinian Christians through the Kairos documents.
Encourage deeper theological reflection and understanding across the Church
Pursue ethical consistency in church investment and review existing policies in light of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on the illegality of Israel’s occupation (July 2024).
The motion reflects the Anglican tradition’s long-standing commitment to justice, peace and reconciliation, and is rooted in the conviction that the Church of England must respond faithfully to the suffering and witness of the global Body of Christ.
Introducing the motion, The Venerable Stewart Fyfe, Archdeacon of West Cumberland and sponsor of the motion, urged Synod:
“[...] we are talking about this because the Church of England’s voice still holds great weight in the Palestinian Church, not least our own sister diocese in Jerusalem. Because we are one body - when one part suffers, we all suffer. Because it was the British mandate which set the course for the current situation. But mostly because these documents are addressed to us. And when so many other churches have either received them or responded to them with solidarity, our silence is deeply damaging to an exceptionally vulnerable Palestinian Church.”
Father Fadi Diab, Rector of St Andrew’s Church in Ramallah, travelled to the UK for the occasion and spoke at a fringe meeting during General Synod on Friday evening.
Father Fadi Diab said: Today, by hearing the witness of Palestinian Christians, you have reminded us that the Body of Christ does not forget its suffering members. You have affirmed that justice is the pathway to peace. You have recognised that the Gospel calls us not to neutrality in the face of oppression, but to faithful discipleship and “faithful resistance” rooted in truth, compassion and hope.
Your decision will echo far beyond these walls. It will reach frightened children in Gaza, faithful congregations in Jerusalem, villages in the West Bank, refugee camps across our region, and countless Palestinian Christians who have wondered whether the global Church still sees them. Today you have told them: you are not forgotten. For this, we thank God, and we thank you.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, addressed Synod by saying: “The threat to Palestinian Christians in particular – whose numbers are becoming ever smaller – is existential. Against this desperate backdrop, we are called to a new and active solidarity. We must not ignore the urgency of this moment.”
Embrace the Middle East, Christian Aid, and Sabeel-Kairos UK have supported the Diocese of Carlisle and Synod members who successfully brought this motion to Synod.
As members of the Just Peace Coalition, we welcome the passing of the motion and urge churches, dioceses and individuals across the Church of England to engage seriously with the testimony of Palestinian Christians, to pray for all those affected by violence and injustice, and to commit themselves to the pursuit of justice, peace and reconciliation for all.
Jamie Eyre, CEO of Embrace, said: This is a historic and long-overdue first step from the Church of England. For years, Palestinian Christians have called on churches around the world to listen to their testimony and stand with them in their struggle for justice, dignity and peace. Today, General Synod has said: we hear you.
But this must only be a beginning. The situation on the ground is deteriorating at a terrifying pace. In the West Bank, settler violence, displacement and restrictions on movement are making daily life unbearable. In Gaza, the situation is even more dire, with families still struggling to access food, medicines, clean water and essential provisions, and with reports of ongoing strikes despite the ceasefire.
The Church must now move beyond words. Solidarity with Palestinian Christians must mean prayer, advocacy, ethical action and a willingness to speak clearly where injustice continues.
This motion is not about choosing one people over another. It is about affirming the dignity and equal worth of every person, rejecting antisemitism, anti-Muslim hostility and all forms of prejudice, and committing ourselves to the hard work of justice, peace and reconciliation for all.
About the General Synod motion
The motion was brought by the Diocese of Carlisle and debated by the Church of England’s General Synod in York on Sunday 12 July, 2026. It calls the Church of England to respond to the call of Palestinian Christians and to engage more deeply with issues of justice, peace, reconciliation and ethical witness in Israel and Palestine.
The full text of the motion is available here.