Jewish believers 'disappointed' with CofE

The Church’s Ministry Among Jewish People (CMJ UK) has expressed concerns about the Church of England’s (CofE) “Kairos Palestine motion” which was passed at July’s General Synod.

In a letter to the CofE’s General Synod, CMJ UK affirms the importance of hearing the witness of Palestinian Christians, and then says: “Our concern is not that these voices are being heard, but that they are presented largely in isolation from other faithful Christian perspectives.”

CMJ UK told en: "CMJ UK is very disappointed with the CofE's acceptance of the Kairos II motion.

"Throughout the document, Israel is repeatedly framed as a 'genocidal' and 'racist' enterprise from its inception. It denies Israel any legitimacy as a nation and implies that no peace is possible while Israel exists.

"Furthermore, the document fails to address any of the five 'two-state solution' offers made by Israel over the past 78 years, or the fact of a continuous Jewish presence in Jerusalem during and prior to the Ottoman period. It is a nakedly political piece of activism dressed up as theology that should have been promptly dismissed.

"The Church should recognise the reality of the suffering of Palestinian Christians, while also being prepared to lay the blame at the feet of those most responsible – most notably, Islamist governments and their terrorist affiliates."

During debate, the General Synod voted to amend the motion’s wording from encouraging members to "receive" the Kairos documents to "hear" them as "heartfelt expressions" of Palestinian Christian experience.

On his blog, Psephizo, evangelical Anglican Ian Paul says this about the Kairos II Palestine document: “In theory, it is claimed to be a listening to the voice of our Palestinian Christian brethren. But in reality, it proposes a selective and distorted account which is [potentially] going to do irreparable harm to Jewish-Christian relations and likely to contribute to worsening antisemitism.”

One amendment to the motion, as passed, speaks of repentance for “the Church’s historic contribution to antisemitism” and reaffirms commitment to inter-faith dialogue, “including Christian-Jewish dialogue”.

If General Synod members are invited to engage with the Kairos Palestine documents, CMJ UK says that they should also be invited to engage with theological reflection from Jewish believers in Jesus, Israeli Christians, Anglican theologians “of differing convictions, and others whose scholarship presents complementary and contrasting perspectives.” It adds: “A process intended to deepen understanding should not inadvertently narrow the range of Christian perspectives from which the Church seeks its discernment.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, is quoted as telling the General Synod: “To hear the heartfelt expressions of the lived experiences of the Palestinian Christians does not mean we agree with everything in these documents – but it does mean that we listen with compassion, and stand in solidarity with them amidst the many injustices they face." And that she also said: “I also hear the concerns of the Chief Rabbi, the Co-Leads of the Movement for Progressive Judaism, and the Board of Deputies, and I thank them for their honesty.”

Writing on X, the UK’s Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, said: “It is shameful that the Church of England General Synod has recommended engagement with Kairos II… Though it poses as a route to understanding, Kairos II in fact functions as an egregious barrier to it, reducing one of the world's most complex conflicts to a single, warped narrative, which can only harm the cause of peace.” Writing on the day the motion was passed, he added: “This is a sad day for Jewish-Christian relations.”

CMJ UK’s letter concludes: “We would welcome the opportunity to dialogue further to discuss these matters and to explore how CMJ might contribute constructively to the Church's continuing reflection. Our desire is not to deepen divisions but to strengthen the Church's witness by ensuring that it reflects the widest possible range of faithful Christian voices. We offer these observations in a spirit of respect and Christian partnership and assure you of our prayers for the mission and ministry of the Church of England.”