VIOLENCE perpetrated by Israeli settlers within the West Bank is “state violence by every other name”, and can’t be allowed to proceed, 4 bishops have said.
In a letter to the Guardian, published on Sunday, the Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, the Bishop of Gloucester, the Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, and the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, write that “the present Israeli government appears to support these violent settler acts through the military and police not intervening.
“As a rule, the military prefers to remove Palestinians from their land fairly than confront settlers. This culture of impunity rewards settler violence. There is not any plausible deniability here — settlers aren’t defying the state; they’re doing its bidding.”
The letter refers to recent incidents within the West Bank town of Taybeh, which is the last Christian-majority town within the territory. There have been reports of fires being began by settlers near an ancient church and Christian graveyard.
Last week, the heads of the Greek Orthodox, Latin Catholic, and Greek Catholic churches within the village called for an “immediate and transparent” investigation into the attacks, which, they said, amounted to a threat to the existence of Christians within the land.
The 4 Church of England bishops write that the attacks are “a part of a wider strategy of control and coercion rendering life unviable for Palestinians across the occupied territory. Successive Israeli governments have used settler violence as an off-the-cuff tool to annex Palestinian land.”
All 4 bishops have visited the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including east Jerusalem and the West Bank, for the reason that outbreak of the war in Gaza, and have spoken to the Church Times about their experiences (News, 6 June; News, 11 April; News, 24 January).
The situation within the West Bank “is in freefall”, they write. They call on the UK Government to publish its legal response to the International Court of Justice’s opinion, issued last July, that Israel’s presence in Palestinian territory is illegal. The Government “must intensify sanctions” against settlers, and “hold the Israeli government to account by signalling its willingness to suspend the UK-Israel trade agreement”.
The letter was published while the General Synod was meeting in York, where all 4 bishops are present. The decision of the Business Committee to not table a debate on a diocesan synod motion from Carlisle with regards to Palestine has been criticised (News, 10 July).
The Archbishop in Jerusalem, Dr Hosam Naoum, had been on account of address the Synod on Sunday afternoon, but was unable to achieve this due to illness. He is anticipated to talk later within the meeting of the Synod, possibly on Monday afternoon.
Dr Naoum can also be on account of speak at a fringe event organised by Christian Aid. Several demonstrations have taken place on the University of York campus at which Synod is meeting, including one in support of the #FastForGaza campaign began by the Dean of St George’s College, the Very Revd Richard Sewell.
