Board of Deputies meets Archbishop of Canterbury to discuss UK Jewish-Christian ties

The President of the Board and Deputies and the Archbishop of Canterbury met last week to discuss “the challenges of recent months” – including a vote at the Church of England’s synod, to “hear” a motion which included a notorious document which the Board described as spreading “a toxic narrative about Jews”.

Phil Rosenberg met the Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally at Lambeth palace on Thursday, for what was described as a “a constructive and positive discussion”, with topics including “Christian-Jewish relations in the UK and the deep religious, cultural and historical ties of the Jewish people with the land of Israel.

In the Board’s statement regarding the meeting the organisation said that it had “conveyed the concerns of the Jewish community regarding the recent Synod Motion relating to the Kairos documents, including the erasure in the Kairos II document of Jewish identity and history, as well as concerns related to the Archbishop’s recent visit to the region.

“We welcomed the Church’s commitment to hear a wide range of perspectives from Israelis and Palestinians, both here in the UK and through future visits to the region.”

At the Church of England’s synod in June, members from the bishops, clergy and laity voted overwhelmingly to “hear” a motion on the plight of Palestinian Christians – despite its inclusion of the notorious “Kairos II” document. As described by the Board of Deputies in a briefing circulated to Synod members beforehand, Kairos II describes Zionism as a settler-colonial movement built on “Jewish supremacy” and with genocidal intent, a claim the Board described as “so false and destructive that the only responsible action is to reject it”. Another element of Kairos II calls on people “to boycott dialogue with Zionist voices,” which the Board pointed out “jeopardises decades of Christian-Jewish relationship building”.

While the Synod voted to “hear” the document rather than to “receive” it, the distinction was seen as semantic by many in the Jewish community. Chief Rabbi Mirvis called the vote “shameful” and “a sad day for Jewish-Christian relations”, while Phil Rosenberg described the motion as “highly problematic” adding that there “is also a clear tension between the incendiary wording of the [Kairos] document and the Church’s expressed aim of tackling antisemitism”.

In the wake of Thursday’s meeting, Phil Rosenberg said: “At a time of heightened tension and division between communities, the importance of constructive dialogue between friends is all the more important. There are far too many – both at home and abroad – who would wish to harm the relationship between British Jews and the Church of England. In the face of such forces, we welcomed the opportunity for discussion with the Archbishop.

“The Board and the Jewish community stand ready to work with the Church and others to deepen understanding of Jewish identity, as well as the impact of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on our communities, and to spread hope by becoming active peacemakers together.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury said: “It was good to hear more about the concerns of many in the British Jewish community following the Synod in July. I expressed my desire that out of this difficult and painful time we find a new path towards deeper relationship and understanding, even where we disagree with each other.

“I also made clear that the Church of England is committed to deepening its understanding of the situation in Israel and Palestine – listening to a broad range of perspectives, and working across faiths for justice, peace and security for all the peoples of those lands.

“I was grateful for the warm and constructive conversation about the challenges of recent months, the importance of Christian-Jewish relations, and the deep connection that the British Jewish community has with Israel.

“We also spoke about the ongoing pressures, threats and anxieties facing Jewish families and congregations across the country. I assured them of my ongoing prayers and support, and my commitment to fostering dialogue, friendship and partnership between Christians, Jews and Muslims.

“I took the opportunity to assure Phil and the rest of the Board of my good wishes for Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Days.”