The Church of England has taken a "historic" step towards stronger solidarity with Palestinians after its governing body voted to hear the voices of Palestinian Christians and engage with a series of Kairos Palestine declarations, including a 2025 document that describes Israel's war on Gaza as a genocide.
Charlotte Marshall, director of Sabeel-Kairos UK, which partners with Kairos Palestine, told The New Arab the vote marked a significant shift after years of debate within the Church.
The General Synod, meeting in York until Tuesday, approved an amended motion by 253 votes to 47, with members committing to "stand in solidarity" with Palestinian Christians and their fellow Palestinians in non-violent resistance to Israel's occupation.
The motion also encourages dioceses and churches to engage with the Kairos Palestine declarations as part of a broader effort to understand the lived experiences of Palestinian Christians.
The final text was amended during the debate to say the Church would "hear", rather than "receive", the Kairos declarations as "heartfelt expressions" of Palestinian Christian experience, while reaffirming its opposition to antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred and all forms of religious prejudice.
It also commits the Church to interfaith dialogue, calls for responsible investment policies in light of the International Court of Justice's July 2024 advisory opinion on the illegality of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory, and urges the UK government to work towards a just and lasting peace.
"After four years of delaying this vital debate, we are delighted that the Church has committed to both hearing and taking tangible action in solidarity with the Palestinian Church, as they seek their freedom, dignity and equal rights in the Holy Land," Marshall told TNA .
"The urgency of the situation cannot be expressed enough. Palestinian Christians and their fellow Muslims are being deliberately erased from this land," she added. "The Church of England has finally heard the Palestinian cry and decided to walk the path of costly solidarity."
The motion was carried in all three houses of the General Synod. Among bishops, 2 5 voted in favour, none voted against and five abstained. Among clergy, 115 voted in favour, 20 voted against and 30 abstained. Of the laity, 113 supported the motion, while 27 voted against and 35 abstained.
The debate centred on the Kairos Palestine declarations, particularly Kairos Palestine II, titled A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide, published in November 2025.
Produced by Kairos Palestine, a Palestinian Christian movement, the document was written following Israel's war on Gaza, expanding settler violence and increasing efforts to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.
It calls on Christians worldwide to stand in solidarity with Palestinian Christians and urges churches to pressure governments "to isolate Israel, hold it accountable, impose sanctions, boycott it, and ban the export of arms until it complies with international law, ends oppression and tyranny, and adheres to the principles of justice and peace".
The document also describes Israel as a "colonial, settler, and exclusionary entity" and labels its military campaign in Gaza a genocide.
At the same time, it condemns antisemitism and rejects the conflation of criticism of Israel with antisemitism. It also praises Jewish voices opposing the war and calls on churches to "amplify prophetic Jewish voices that call for justice and truth".
During the debate, Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally said hearing the Kairos declarations did not mean endorsing every statement they contained.
"To hear the heartfelt expressions of the lived experience of Palestinian Christians does not mean that we agree with everything in these documents - but it does mean we listen with compassion, and stand in solidarity with them amidst the many injustices they face," she told Synod.
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell also backed the amended motion, saying it would send a message to Palestinian Christians that "we hear you. We stand alongside you."
The Kairos Palestine documents have drawn criticism from several Jewish organisations and public figures in the UK, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which has described Kairos Palestine II as antisemitic.
Kairos Palestine II builds on the original 2009 Kairos Palestine declaration, 'A Moment of Truth: A Word of Faith, Hope and Love from the Heart of Palestinian Suffering'.
The Church of England's vote follows a similar move by the Presbyterian Church (USA) , the country's largest Presbyterian denomination, whose General Assembly last month affirmed Kairos Palestine II, recognised Israel's war on Gaza as a genocide and called for an arms embargo on Israel and divestment from companies linked to it.