The Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken out against anti-Semitism and said that the Church of England must take action as well as saying comforting words of support. She was speaking on a visit to the Sternberg Centre for Judaism in north London, hosted by Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy, the co-leads of Progressive Judaism in the UK and Ireland.
Her comments follow a significant upturn in anti-Semitic incidents following the attack of Hamas on Israel in October 2023 and the subsequent response by the Israeli state, which has drawn global condemnation. See the graph above, which emerged from the BBC in April and shows the rapid increase in incidents since 2023.
Archbishop Mullally said: “This is not a problem for the Jewish community to solve. It’s on all of us — every single member of our society — to call out anti-Semitism whenever we see it, and to oppose it without hesitation or qualification. …For the Church of England, such solidarity must also mean action, as well as words. We are committed to serve the whole nation by working together to tackle hatred in all its forms, knowing that violence against one group wounds us all.”
The anti-Semitic attacks have been cowardly and focussed on British Jewish people, who, because of their traditions, are often very visible in society. Some acts are a response to the excessive force that has been used by the Israeli state against the peoples of Gaza. But as such they are totally misdirected. In fact, progressive Jews have emerged as a prominent and vocal force against the war in Gaza, often staging protests and issuing public condemnations, driven by their belief in social justice and human rights.
As a church, we stand with them, and endorse the joint statement about the visit issued by Rabbi Baginsky and Rabbi Levy: “We are living through a time when loud voices are trying to deepen divisions between communities, and especially between faith communities. To have the Archbishop of Canterbury with us at such a moment was a powerful act of solidarity and care. Her presence meant a great deal and we are grateful for her clear support and willingness to stand with our community.”
Read the story in the Church Times here.