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Church of England Backs Study of Palestinian Kairos II Document

The move has deepened tensions with British Jewish leaders, raising questions about the church’s IHRA-related antisemitism commitments and next steps.

Overview

  • The General Synod, which voted Monday, recommended that churches engage with Kairos II as a “heartfelt expression” of Palestinian Christian experience and did not adopt the document as church doctrine.
  • Kairos II, a 2025 PalestinianChristian statement titled A Moment of Truth, labels Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, describes Israel as a colonial, racist enterprise, and calls for measures including boycott, divestment, and sanctions.
  • Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, the Board of Deputies and other Jewish groups publicly condemned the Synod action, saying the document erases Jewish experience and risks undoing decades of JewishChristian relationship building.
  • Reporting on whether the motion was finally voted differs: several outlets say Synod members carried a recommendation to 'hear' the papers, while other accounts say the assembly ran out of time and will return to the item in November, leaving the process unresolved.
  • The debate followed the Archbishop of Canterbury’s recent visit to Palestinian Christian communities and sits within a wider, cross‑denominational argument about how churches balance pastoral listening to Palestinians with commitments to tackle antisemitism and to review investment and advocacy policy.