Updated Kairos Palestine motion moves forward to General Synod!

We are delighted that a motion to encourage greater support and solidarity with Palestinian Christians, along with a call for the Church of England to divest from all companies profiting from Israel’s illegal occupation, has been updated and re-affirmed by the Carlisle Diocese, and now proceeds to General Synod in July.

The Kairos Palestine motion, originally passed in November 2021 in the Carlisle Diocese, has been in a long queue waiting to be debated at the Church of England’s General Synod. After receiving notice that it would finally be on the agenda this July, Sabeel-Kairos member Valerie Hallard, the original proposer of the motion, and Archdeacon Stewart Fyfe, a strong and vocal supporter of the Palestinian Christian community, decided to update the motion given the significant changes in Palestine in the last 4 years.

The revised motion (see text below) was debated on Saturday 22nd March. Despite some opposition, and after a long debate, the motion was passed with a 59/7 majority, which is a huge encouragement to all those involved. You can watch the debate (starting at 57 minutes) on the Diocese of Carlisle YouTube Channel.

The motion now proceeds in its new form to General Synod in York in July. We are also delighted to report that Sheffield Diocese has recently passed an endorsement of the Kairos Palestine motion, as have several other deaneries across the UK.

If you would like to get involved in supporting the motion and helping to make your general synod reps (including lay, clergy and bishops in your Diocese) aware of it, please email to find out more.

KAIROS PALESTINE

REVISED MOTION FOR DIOCESAN SYNOD

That this Synod responds to the call of Palestinian Christians to stand in solidarity with them and their fellow Palestinians in non-violent resistance to the ongoing occupation. We lament the loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives and the violations of human dignity and rights on both sides, as well as the displacement of population.  We commit to a better understanding of the situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, seeking peace and security for all the peoples of those lands and pursuing that which leads to the establishment of a just and lasting peace.

In particular, we:

1.Reject anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim sentiment and all forms of prejudice based on religious affiliation and ethnicity.

2. Pray for all victims of the current conflicts in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory and for a lasting peace;

3. Receive the Kairos Palestine Declaration (2009), the Cry for Hope (2020), and the Call for Repentance (2023) as heartfelt expressions of the lived experience of Palestinian Christians and:

a) Encourage the Church of England at all levels to engage with those documents as part of a quest for greater understanding of the situation;

b) Ask the the Faith and Public Life Division to commend resources that enable Dioceses and local churches to promote a full understanding of the situation and to respond through prayer, theological study, advocacy and practical support for the work undertaken by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and other Churches in the service of the people of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory;

4. Call on the National Investing Bodies to review their investment policies in the light of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 on the illegality of the occupation of Palestinian territory, and to:

i) disinvest from any entity or corporation with a persistent, on-going, and direct business involvement in severe human rights violations or violations of international law as part of Israel’s military occupation;

ii) provide advice and guidance to the Dioceses to review their investments; and

iii) report back to General Synod accordingly.

5. Ask His Majesty’s Government to work urgently for a lasting peace in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, that will ensure safety and security for all parties and the upholding of the rights and inherent dignity of all people.