In significant reversal, Church of England head says Israeli occupation must end following ICJ opinion
Justin Welby, official portrait 2019
Jeff Wright reports in Mondoweiss on 11 August 2024:
“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.’”