The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, recently issued an unprecedented rebuke of Israel in a statement that has caused controversy within the Church of England. We explain why the Archbishop’s statement is very misguided and potentially dangerous.
1. Welby’s call for Israel to be kicked out of the Jewish homeland is unbiblical.
Welby states:
“The Advisory Opinion by the International Court of Justice (19 July 2024) makes definitively clear that Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is unlawful and needs to end as rapidly as possible.”
The so-called “Occupied Palestinian Territories” refers to the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Let’s be clear, the West Bank is actually Judea and Samaria – the ancestral heartland of the Jewish people. Welby knows that Judea and Samaria is Israel’s inheritance. He knows that Jesus was born in Judea. In Jesus’s time, it was occupied by the Romans. Today, Welby is advocating that it is occupied by only Palestinians.
This is really important to make clear: Israel ending any presence in the West Bank effectively means ‘no Jews allowed’. The same applies to east Jerusalem, the location of Judaism’s holiest sites. Welby is advocating for a divided Jerusalem, which itself goes against God’s command. Furthermore, it undermines how God views Jerusalem – the city that the Bible explicitly describes as being a capital for the Jewish people, and where Christians believe Jesus, Himself Jewish, will return to. Welby’s demand for Israel to withdraw is therefore completely unbiblical and sets a bad example to the Church in Britain. In a climate that is already heated towards Israel, Welby’s influence is likely to only damage the Church’s stand with Israel further and do nothing to help guard public opinion from turning against Israel.
Then there is Gaza. Israel doesn’t occupy Gaza. Israel withdrew its presence from Gaza in 2005, requiring all Jews to relocate. Two years later, Palestinian governance was taken over by Hamas. Things haven’t gone too well.
2. Welby’s use of the term “unlawful” is nonsense.
All Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria are lawful. UN Resolutions 242 and 338 affirm Israel’s right under international law to administer all of Area C in Judea and Samaria, where Israelis live. Furthermore, the Oslo Accords signed between Israel and PLO reaffirmed Israel’s right to administer all of Area C in Judea and Samaria and Israel is not required to withdraw to new borders that do not guarantee Israel’s security.
3. Welby’s intervention is not in the Archbishop’s remit.
Welby’s use of the term “end as rapidly as possible” carries a very uncomfortable intervention from the leader of the Church of England, something that even many centrist politicians do not demand. Any recognition from Welby of complexities in the conflict and Middle East diplomacy is completely disregarded. Any mention of hoping for a peaceful resolution, which one would expect from an influential Christian leader, is clearly omitted. The Archbishop is entitled to his personal views, but many people look to what the Church has to say. He does not represent many Christians in Britain. Instead, it appears he has succumbed to the playbook of the far-left and jihadists – a shocking position to be in.
4. Welby puts man-made laws above the law of God.
Welby states:
“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.”
The ICJ (International Court of Justice) is not a model of fairness and justice. It is sadly increasingly anti-Israel and recently passed a ruling that described Israel’s “occupation” as unlawful. It is a very serious matter that Welby believes that the world should give “unwavering” support to “all decisions” by the ICJ. Does he really mean ‘all’? All decisions without questioning?” Sadly, Welby confirms this is exactly what he means when he adds, “irrespective of the situation”. In a perfect world, one would hope to agree with ‘all’ decisions by an international court. But Welby’s words naively compel the world to believe everything to the point that the anti-Israel ICJ’s rulings must be accepted unconditionally. This puts the ICJ above the Bible, the Law of God. The leader of the Church of England should know better.
5. Welby doesn’t mention Hamas at all.
Welby mentions Israel by name but doesn’t once mention Hamas or any other enemy of Israel. When referring to upholding international law, he does infer Hamas by mentioning “torture, hostage-taking and indiscriminate violence.” But now imagine reading this as a pro-Palestinian reader. These are all things the blinded pro-Palestinian protesters believe relate to Israel. Welby is deliberately specific when referring to Israel, but deliberately blurs the lines when it relates to Hamas because of fear of upsetting the wrong crowd. This compromise only emboldens Israel’s enemies.
6. Welby blames Israel for the suffering of Palestinian Christians.
Welby states:
“The State of Israel has been denying the Palestinian people dignity, freedom and hope. I am particularly aware of how this is impacting Palestinian Christians, threatening their future and viability. It is clear that ending the occupation is a legal and moral necessity.”
Hundreds of years ago, there were those within the Church who blamed Jews for problems experienced by Christians. Welby’s blaming Israel for the situation facing Christians in the Palestinian territories is not far removed from this antisemitic trope. Let’s be real, Christians in places like Bethlehem do not have it easy. They are impacted by the Israel-Palestinian conflict in numerous ways. But the number of Palestinian Christians is diminishing for various factors; the main reason is the risk of persecution from the Islamist authorities and others in the community, including from family members. For this reason, some Bible-believing Palestinians worship secretly. There are many Palestinian believers who understand what the Bible says about Israel and are pro-Israel. There are also many Palestinian Muslims that exploit the Christian community and regard religious Christianity as a useful method to politicise rights to the holy sites and the land, and deny Jewish sovereignty. Welby should know that Israel is the safest place for Christians in the Middle East. Blaming Israel for Palestinian suffering when it is ruled by groups like Hamas (in Gaza) is misplaced and also places a wedge between Israel and the Church.
7. Welby does not offer any words of spiritual wisdom or comfort.
It is striking that not once does Welby mention the Bible to support his demands. Neither does he speak of peace and reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinians. Also, it should be noted that his statement is not aimed at a Christian audience – and that underlines a problem. The primary calling of the Archbishop is to the flock; but if he is also viewed as a representative of the Church to the nation, it should be from a spiritual, Biblical standpoint to warn, comfort and encourage as Christ’s ambassador.
Welby does, however, mention prayer once. He ends the statement:
“I pray that all UN member states respond positively to this Advisory Opinion.”
Unbelievably, to end the letter, the leader of the Church of England’s priority for prayer is that the United Nations approves the ICJ’s bashing of Israel. The apostle Peter penned, “be serious and watchful in your prayers,” (1 Peter 4:7). Praying for the UN to act against Israel is a very sad indication of the lack of spiritual discernment demonstrated in this statement. In contrast, we pray for the Archbishop, that he will reflect on his views and desire to bless Israel for the sake of the Church in Britain, for the sake of our nation, and for the sake of Zion.
