Church of England Agrees To 'Hear' Kairos II as British Jewish Leaders Call It 'Shameful'

The Church of England's General Synod has voted to "hear" a 14-page document from Kairos Palestine — a Palestinian Christian movement — prompting a sharp public dispute with leaders of the British Jewish community.

What the Document Says

Titled A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide (commonly referred to as Kairos II), the paper describes Israel as a "colonial, settler and exclusionary entity," refers to Palestinians as the "indigenous people of this land," and argues that the ongoing war in Gaza continues a Zionist project to dispossess Palestinians. It urges churches to "distinguish between dialogue with Jews and dialogue with Zionism" and calls on churches to "stand with and amplify prophetic Jewish voices that call for justice and truth."

"The genocidal war on Gaza is the continuation of the Zionist project to seize all of Palestine, emptied of its Palestinian people."

Responses From Jewish Leaders

Sir Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi, described the Church of England's decision to engage with the document as "shameful," saying it reduced "one of the world's most complex conflicts to a single, warped narrative, which can only harm the cause of peace" and called it "a sad day for Jewish-Christian relations."

One of the many pro-Palestine protests stressing that the Jewish community is separate from Zionism - Maja Smiejkowska/PA

Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies — the main democratically elected representative body of British Jews — said Kairos II presented "falsehoods and distortions" and amounted to an "erasure of Jewish identity and experience," warning that the text would encourage division rather than contribute to a resolution of the Middle East conflict. The Board declined to comment further.

Kairos Palestine's Reply

The Rev Dr Munther Isaac, a member of Kairos Palestine's board, accused the Board of Deputies of seeking to delegitimise criticism of Israel and of conflating political critique with antisemitism. He said the Board's response was "truly shameful" and amounted to "complicity in the crimes themselves" by turning a blind eye to the suffering in Gaza. Dr Isaac emphasised that Kairos II explicitly recognises a growing number of Jewish voices critical of the war and opposed to Zionism on moral and faith-based grounds.

Other Institutional Reactions

The Campaign Against Antisemitism criticized Kairos Palestine's approach and cited polling that it said showed 80% of British Jews identify as Zionist, arguing that interfaith engagement necessarily involves engaging mainstream Jewish voices. The group urged the Church of England to distance itself from Kairos II.

Israeli attacks in Gaza have stoked pro-Palestine sentiment - Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty

The Methodist Church has already accepted the text and recommended the preparation of study materials based on it. Ahead of the Synod debate, several rabbis and Jewish groups urged the Church to withdraw consideration of the paper, warning it could "risk real harm to Jews in the UK through its dissemination."

Synod Debate and Church Leaders' Views

During the debate in the Synod chamber, the Most Reverend Dame Sarah Mullally, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said listening to Palestinian Christian testimony did not imply agreement with every part of Kairos II, but stressed the importance of compassion and solidarity with those who face injustice. Recalling a recent visit to the region, she spoke of rapidly expanding settlements in the West Bank, settlers' violence, and the forced displacement of Palestinians, warning that "Palestine... is disappearing."

Context and Contested Passages

Kairos II references the Hamas attack on Oct 7, 2023, condemning the violence while placing it in the context of "decades of injustice, oppression and displacement." The document also challenges Israel's claim of "self-defence" in Gaza and criticises the Abraham Accords as having "normalised occupation and apartheid in Palestine."

What Happens Next

By voting to "hear" the document, the Church of England has allowed Kairos II to be formally considered and discussed within its structures, rather than endorsing its content. The decision has exposed deep divisions over how churches should respond to testimony from Palestinian Christians and how to conduct interfaith dialogue with Jewish communities, particularly during an ongoing and highly polarising conflict.

Note: All quoted material is drawn from the Kairos II text and public statements by the named individuals and organisations involved in the debate.