“The [recent] Advisory Opinion by the International Court of Justice,” Archbishop Justin Welby writes, “makes definitively clear that Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is unlawful and needs to end as rapidly as possible."
By Jeff Wright August 11, 2024 0
MONDOWEISS
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby in 2015. (Photo: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office/Flickr)
“It is clear that ending the occupation is a legal and moral responsibility,” the head of the Church of England said in a statement released earlier this month.
In his August 2 response to the ICJ’s July 19 opinion, Archbishop Justin Welby wrote, “At a time when the world is marked by increasing violations of international law—and commitment to a rules-based system is in question—it is imperative that governments around the world reaffirm their unwavering commitment to all decisions by the International Court of Justice, irrespective of the situation.”
Supporters of the Palestinian struggle for civil rights and self-determination applaud the Archbishop’s statement, citing it as a significant reversal from the Church of England’s position on Palestine/Israel.
Earlier this year, a Disciplinary Tribunal of the Church of England imposed upon the Rev. Dr. Stephen Sizer, a prominent U.K. cleric, and critic of Christian Zionism, a 12-year ban on clergy activities on a charge of antisemitism brought by the Board of Deputies of British Jews—a charge vehemently denied by Sizer and many others familiar with the case. In February, Archbishop Welby refused to meet with Palestinian pastor Munther Isaac, only later apologizing and meeting with Isaac on a subsequent visit to the UK.
Charlotte Marshall, Director of Sabeel-Kairos UK, a registered Christian charity that works for justice and equality for Palestinians, said, “After years of pressing the Church of England to be more outspoken in its support of the Palestinian Christian community and challenge their oppression by the Israeli state, we are delighted to see the Archbishop of Canterbury calling for an end to Israel’s occupation as a ‘legal and moral necessity.’”
For the first time, we did not see the Archbishop apply ‘balance’, but rather stand in full support of the Palestinian people, stating that the occupation has ‘denied the Palestinian people dignity, freedom and hope.’” Charlotte Marshall, Director of Sabeel-Kairos UK
“For the first time,” Marshall told Mondoweiss, “we did not see the Archbishop apply ‘balance’, but rather stand in full support of the Palestinian people, stating that the occupation has ‘denied the Palestinian people dignity, freedom and hope.’”
Other recent statements from church leaders reflect the stark turn-around in the Church of England’s public position regarding the situation in Palestine. The week before the Archbishop spoke out, Bishop Rachel Treweek of Gloucester declared, “In the past I have been wary of using the word apartheid…, but having seen even more starkly how life is now in the occupied Palestinian territory, I wish to stand alongside other individuals and groups, not least Christians, in boldly naming apartheid.”
Soon after, Canon Richard Sewell, Dean of St. Georges College Jerusalem, wrote an Op-Ed in the UK’s Church Times, stating, “It must also be understood that the Israeli occupation of the West Bank from 1967, and the blockade of Gaza since 2007, are intolerable injustices.” While expressing his unwavering support of Israel’s right to exist, Sewell went on to criticize governments that support Israel’s occupation and blockade of Gaza, writing that such support “seems to have become a more or less accepted part of the political terrain by Israel’s allies….”
This criticism was taken up by Archbishop Welby: “To resist a world where actions such as torture, hostage-taking and indiscriminate violence become the norm, we must apply the law without fear or favour in all circumstances. But for too long it has been applied and upheld in a selective manner that threatens our common peace and security. Now is the time to reverse that deeply damaging trend.”
Sabeel-Kairos’s Marshall said, “This shift in tone, language, and hopefully policy by leaders brings us great hope that the Church intends to be more vocal in its support of international law equally applied across the globe and in its solidarity with Palestinians, and to seek to do all in its power to ensure the continued existence of the Palestinian Christian community in the Holy Land.”
Perhaps the Archbishop’s statement will move other church leaders in neighboring European countries and the U.S. to abandon their both-sidesing and boldly, unequivocally respond to the Palestinian Christians’ calls to help them and their Muslim neighbors gain their freedom and civil rights.
“It is clear that ending the occupation is a legal and moral responsibility,” the head of the Church of England said in a statement released earlier this month.
In his August 2 response to the ICJ’s July 19 opinion, Archbishop Justin Welby wrote, “At a time when the world is marked by increasing violations of international law—and commitment to a rules-based system is in question—it is imperative that governments around the world reaffirm their unwavering commitment to all decisions by the International Court of Justice, irrespective of the situation.”
Supporters of the Palestinian struggle for civil rights and self-determination applaud the Archbishop’s statement, citing it as a significant reversal from the Church of England’s position on Palestine/Israel.
Earlier this year, a Disciplinary Tribunal of the Church of England imposed upon the Rev. Dr. Stephen Sizer, a prominent U.K. cleric, and critic of Christian Zionism, a 12-year ban on clergy activities on a charge of antisemitism brought by the Board of Deputies of British Jews—a charge vehemently denied by Sizer and many others familiar with the case. In February, Archbishop Welby refused to meet with Palestinian pastor Munther Isaac, only later apologizing and meeting with Isaac on a subsequent visit to the UK.
Charlotte Marshall, Director of Sabeel-Kairos UK, a registered Christian charity that works for justice and equality for Palestinians, said, “After years of pressing the Church of England to be more outspoken in its support of the Palestinian Christian community and challenge their oppression by the Israeli state, we are delighted to see the Archbishop of Canterbury calling for an end to Israel’s occupation as a ‘legal and moral necessity.’”
For the first time, we did not see the Archbishop apply ‘balance’, but rather stand in full support of the Palestinian people, stating that the occupation has ‘denied the Palestinian people dignity, freedom and hope.’” Charlotte Marshall, Director of Sabeel-Kairos UK
“For the first time,” Marshall told Mondoweiss, “we did not see the Archbishop apply ‘balance’, but rather stand in full support of the Palestinian people, stating that the occupation has ‘denied the Palestinian people dignity, freedom and hope.’”
Other recent statements from church leaders reflect the stark turn-around in the Church of England’s public position regarding the situation in Palestine. The week before the Archbishop spoke out, Bishop Rachel Treweek of Gloucester declared, “In the past I have been wary of using the word apartheid…, but having seen even more starkly how life is now in the occupied Palestinian territory, I wish to stand alongside other individuals and groups, not least Christians, in boldly naming apartheid.”
Soon after, Canon Richard Sewell, Dean of St. Georges College Jerusalem, wrote an Op-Ed in the UK’s Church Times, stating, “It must also be understood that the Israeli occupation of the West Bank from 1967, and the blockade of Gaza since 2007, are intolerable injustices.” While expressing his unwavering support of Israel’s right to exist, Sewell went on to criticize governments that support Israel’s occupation and blockade of Gaza, writing that such support “seems to have become a more or less accepted part of the political terrain by Israel’s allies….”
This criticism was taken up by Archbishop Welby: “To resist a world where actions such as torture, hostage-taking and indiscriminate violence become the norm, we must apply the law without fear or favour in all circumstances. But for too long it has been applied and upheld in a selective manner that threatens our common peace and security. Now is the time to reverse that deeply damaging trend.”
Sabeel-Kairos’s Marshall said, “This shift in tone, language, and hopefully policy by leaders brings us great hope that the Church intends to be more vocal in its support of international law equally applied across the globe and in its solidarity with Palestinians, and to seek to do all in its power to ensure the continued existence of the Palestinian Christian community in the Holy Land.”
Perhaps the Archbishop’s statement will move other church leaders in neighboring European countries and the U.S. to abandon their both-sidesing and boldly, unequivocally respond to the Palestinian Christians’ calls to help them and their Muslim neighbors gain their freedom and civil rights.
