After Synod's call to 'hear' Palestinian Christians: creating a safe space for difficult conversations

The Church of England's General Synod has voted to stand in solidarity with Palestinian Christians and to "hear" their testimony, engaging with the Kairos Palestine declarations as, in Synod's words, "heartfelt expressions of the lived experience of Palestinian Christians." In doing so — and in deliberately choosing the word "hear" rather than "receive" — the Church committed itself to listening, while being clear that listening is not the same as endorsing. It also, in effect, asked local churches to engage with one of the most painful and divisive issues of our time. For a parish or congregation, that raises a hard, practical question: how do you create a space where these conversations can actually happen safely? This is a non-partisan guide to doing exactly that. It takes no position on the substance of the motion or the documents behind it; it is about how to hold the conversation with care, safety and integrity. It is general information, not advice.

What Synod actually decided

It helps to be precise. The motion — brought by the Diocese of Carlisle and lamenting the loss of both Palestinian and Israeli lives — was passed by 253 votes to 47, carried in all three houses of Synod. Members committed to stand in solidarity with Palestinian Christians, and to "hear" the Kairos Palestine declarations. Crucially, Synod amended "receive" to "hear", making clear that engaging with these documents does not adopt their contents as the Church's teaching, but recognises them as expressions of lived experience to be understood.

Supporting that wording, the Archbishop of Canterbury told Synod that hearing these testimonies "does not mean agreeing with everything in them," but that "the urgency of the situation in the Holy Land demands that we have difficult conversations. We must listen to those things that are hard to hear, and take the risk of engaging across divides."

It is also important to acknowledge, plainly, that the motion is contested. The documents in question contain strong and disputed claims, and Jewish community leaders — including the Chief Rabbi — raised serious concerns ahead of the debate, and there are differing views within the Church itself. "Hearing," in other words, comes with real responsibility.

Why this needs a genuinely safe space

Three things make this different from an ordinary discussion, and all point to the need for care:

• It is deeply personal and painful. For many — Palestinian, Israeli, Jewish, Muslim and Christian alike — this is not an abstract debate but grief, fear and family.
• Two forms of hatred must be guarded against with equal vigilance. A conversation about Palestinian Christian suffering must never become a platform for antisemitism, and communities must equally be protected from anti-Muslim hatred (Islamophobia). Both are wholly unacceptable.
• There is real legal and regulatory risk. The Charity Commission is unambiguous that charities "must not become forums for hate speech against any community" — and a church's premises, events and online channels fall squarely within that.

This connects closely to our fuller guide on holding safe conversations about Israel and Palestine, which sets out the ground rules and the compliance picture in more detail. What follows applies them to Synod's specific call to listen.

Ground rules for a safe space

Before you create space for this, agree the rules of engagement — and hold to them:

• Protect people, not positions. The goal is not a shared conclusion, but that no one is made unsafe, unwelcome or afraid.
• Zero tolerance for hatred — of anyone. Antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred (Islamophobia) are equally forbidden, and you say so at the outset.
• Distinguish debate from abuse. Strong, sincerely held views are welcome; hatred, harassment or targeting people for who they are, never.
• Never blame the person in front of you for the actions of any government or armed group.
• Make room for grief and for silence. Sometimes the needed response is presence, not argument.
• Notice who is in the room — and who might be frightened to speak, or to be there at all.
• Agree in advance how you'll handle disagreement, and when to pause.

Listening well to Palestinian Christians

Synod's call was, specifically, to hear. Done well, that means:

• Create genuine space to listen — to testimony, to invited Palestinian Christian voices, to the documents themselves — without rushing to judgement.
• Be clear that hearing is not endorsing. Hold what you hear as one community's lived experience and one voice among others, to be understood and weighed — exactly as Synod framed it.
• Contextualise and allow response. Give room for questions, for other perspectives, and for honest disagreement, so listening does not become one-sided.
• Don't weaponise it. The point is understanding and compassion, not ammunition for a fight.

And protecting your Jewish and Muslim neighbours

This is the balance that matters most, and it must be active, not assumed. Engaging with Palestinian Christian voices must never slide into hostility towards Jewish people. That means:

• Reassure and involve. Be proactive with Jewish members and neighbours; take their concerns seriously (as the Church's own leaders acknowledged those raised before the debate); consider how the conversation will land for them.
• Watch the language and the room. Be alert to the point where criticism of a state's actions tips into hatred of a people — and stop it.
• Guard equally against anti-Muslim hatred, and lean on interfaith relationships built in calmer times.

A church that hears Palestinian Christians and protects its Jewish and Muslim neighbours is not being inconsistent — it is being faithful to the dignity of every person.

Handling differing views within your congregation

Your own people will disagree, sometimes sharply, and that is legitimate. A leader's job is not to enforce a single view — including the view expressed by Synod — but to keep the space safe and respectful for all. Don't require conformity, don't let the loudest dominate, and take particular care of those personally affected: the bereaved, the frightened, those with family in the region.

Staying within the law and your purposes

Keep the practical guardrails in view: your premises, events and online channels must not become forums for hate speech or extremism; be alert to hate crime and harassment and act on it; and remember that charity campaigning has limits (the rules on political activity). Take advice if you are unsure.

Hosting a session well

If you choose to hold a listening event or study session:

• Prepare — agree clear aims and ground rules, and arrange skilled, impartial facilitation.
• Think about who is in the room, and safeguard anyone who may be vulnerable or personally affected.
• Consider expert or interfaith input to hold the balance.
• Have a plan if it gets heated — including permission to pause.
• Follow up pastorally — check on those the conversation has cost, on every side.

The bottom line

Synod has asked churches to hear Palestinian Christians and to take the risk of difficult conversations. Held in a genuinely safe space — one that listens to voices too often unheard, protects every community equally from hatred, honours sincere disagreement, and keeps a congregation together rather than fracturing it — that call can be a real gift. Held carelessly, it can wound people and divide a church. The safe space is not an optional nicety; it is the very thing that makes faithful, honest listening possible.

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This article is general information and reflection, not advice, and takes no position on the Synod motion or the documents behind it. This is a sensitive and contested area engaging equality, charity and hate-crime law; always check the current position and take professional and legal advice, and report concerns to the police or the Charity Commission as appropriate. For help with the governance and pastoral planning around difficult conversations, get in touch.

Sources verified (July 2026):

• The Church of England — Synod votes to stand in solidarity with Palestinian Christians and 'hear' their voices in amended motion — https://www.churchofengland.org/media/news-and-press-releases/synod-votes-stand-solidarity-palestinian-christians-and-hear-their-voices-amended-motion
• Archbishop of Canterbury — speech to Synod on the Kairos Palestine debate — https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/speeches/synod-archbishop-canterburys-speech-kairos-palestine-debate
• The Jewish Chronicle — reporting on concerns raised by the Chief Rabbi and Jewish community — https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/church-of-england-kairos-israel-genocide-chief-rabbi-hfgvqky0
• Charity Commission — Charities must not become forums for hate speech — https://charitycommission.blog.gov.uk/2023/11/28/charities-must-not-become-forums-for-hate-speech-over-gaza/