Following her five-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the Archbishop of Canterbury has warned that Palestinian Christians in the West Bank face an “existential challenge” that the wider Church must act to address.
In a pastoral letter co-signed by Hosam E Naoum, the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, Mullally spoke of the geopolitical realities of the region and the severe impact they have on everyone, regardless of their background.
“In Israel, the simultaneous fighting of many conflicts at one time, and the deep-seated aftermath of the horrifying atrocities of 7 October, have created a state of intense sensitivity to potential danger that has transformed society and politics," it reads.
As a result of this “intense sensitivity”, Christians in the West Bank face increasingly stringent restrictions on work and travel. As well as official security measures, some Christian communities have faced violent attacks from Israeli settlers, including Taybeh, which has been described as the only Christian town in the West Bank.
While Israeli authorities have condemned the settler attacks, no one has been brought to justice, leading some local Christians to criticise a culture of impunity among the settlers.
In her letter, Mullally said that Israel was annexing the West Bank “in all but name”.
“In the West Bank, unchecked settler violence, forced displacement, systemic discrimination, and expanding checkpoints have left the Palestinian population impoverished, desperate and powerless to enact change," it reads.
Mullally also noted the “profound suffering in Gaza” and called upon the international community to do all it can to rebuild the territory.
Referring to an advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in 2024, Mullally called upon Anglicans to lobby politicians “to take all necessary measures to establish a credible path towards ending the occupation” and to pave the way for a two-state solution that enables “Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, dignity and security”.
