IN OCTOBER 2023, Palestinian Anglicans living in the West Bank wrote of their acute distress in the light of the then Archbishop of Canterbury’s response to the unfolding conflict in Gaza. They wrote of being “utterly perplexed” by his failure to condemn Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory. “We would expect that our existence and struggle for justice and liberation as Palestinians, Christians, and Anglicans would be accurately portrayed and more publicly supported from your side,” they wrote.
The Palestinians believed that Archbishop Welby had been unduly influenced by domestic political considerations. Perhaps he was afraid of being called anti-Semitic. Possibly he was badly advised. Whatever his reasons, the hurt of the West Bank Anglicans is a clear reminder of the impact of a pronouncement — or the lack of one — from Canterbury, especially on a small and beleaguered community in the Anglican Communion. Sadly, he compounded the sense of betrayal a few weeks later by his refusal (albeit one that was later reversed) to meet the Palestinian pastor the Revd Dr Munther Isaac.
Two years on, the Archbishop of York’s five-day pilgrimage of prayer and solidarity has, thankfully, done something to repair the damage. Preaching in Ramallah, he apologised for the Church of England’s failure to stand in solidarity alongside fellow Anglicans in the Holy Land, and assured the gathered congregation that he was there to listen. That listening included hearing from a group of women who spoke candidly of their lives under Israeli occupation, moving the delegation to tears. He spent time with the family of the imprisoned Layan Nasir, and prayed with church leaders. He had long conversations with the Archbishop in Jerusalem about how exactly the Church of England might offer support.
There is nothing like journeying alongside those walking through the valley of the shadow of death for appreciating something of their suffering. And Archbishop Cottrell is not by any means the only bishop to have visited: the Bishops of Chelmsford, Norwich, Gloucester, and Southwark have all travelled to the Holy Land in the past two years and spoken in the House of Lords and elsewhere on behalf of the Palestinian people.
Besides promising to listen and learn from the Palestinians he met, Archbishop Cottrell made a third and important commitment: to telling their stories on his return home. This week he has been true to his word. In a step change from anything that has gone before, Archbishop Cottrell has described what he witnessed in the West Bank as a regime of apartheid. He has spoken of ethnic cleansing. He has called the actions of Israel in Gaza genocidal acts. Archbishop Cottrell has carried a heavy burden over the past year, and will, no doubt, be glad to take a step back on the enthronement of the new Archbishop of Canterbury next year. He should be commended for using these last few months to make such a powerful — and overdue — declaration.
