Church Leaders Urge Action Against Antisemitism in Britain

Church of England leaders have called on churches and religious communities across Britain to take a stronger stand against antisemitism, warning that growing hostility towards Jewish people threatens their safety, dignity and participation in public life.

In an open letter published on 8 October 2026, three bishops and 11 Church of England interfaith advisers expressed concern about what they described as a troubling rise in antisemitic attitudes and incidents. 

They urged churches and other faith communities to become a strong barrier against prejudice and discrimination.

The letter followed controversy surrounding a Green Party motion declaring Zionism to be racism. The signatories argued that the motion had deepened concerns among Jewish communities and formed part of a wider pattern of hostility reflected 

in public debate, demonstrations and physical attacks in Manchester and London.

The church leaders also cautioned against treating Zionism as inherently racist without recognising the different ways Jewish people understand the movement. For many Jews, Zionism is associated with the right to safety, belonging and self-determination, shaped in part by centuries of persecution and the Holocaust.

Their intervention highlights the responsibility of Christian communities to confront antisemitism while creating space for honest discussion about Israel and Palestine.

On 6 October, the Bishop of Willesden, Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy, the Church of England’s lead bishop for interfaith engagement, also responded to the Green Party motion. He argued that Zionism could not simply be equated with racism, while acknowledging the need to confront the dispossession, inequality and denial of Palestinian rights associated with the actions of successive Israeli governments.

He warned that broad generalisations about Zionism risk making Jewish people feel misunderstood or unwelcome, while stressing that recognising Jewish concerns must not obscure the rights and dignity of Palestinians.

The Church of England’s position reflects the challenge facing religious leaders as tensions surrounding the Middle East increasingly affect relationships between communities in Britain. The church leaders maintain that opposing antisemitism must go hand in hand with concern for Palestinians experiencing suffering and violence.

They called on politicians, church leaders and other faith representatives to encourage meaningful dialogue that recognises Israel’s security alongside Palestinian freedom, dignity and self-determination.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, in a separate statement marking the third anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, expressed solidarity with Jewish people affected by grief, trauma and antisemitism. 

The Archbishop also called for peace, justice, freedom and security for Israelis and Palestinians, and urged renewed understanding between Britain’s faith communities.

The statements come at a time when religious leaders are being challenged to address prejudice without deepening divisions. For churches, the responsibility extends beyond issuing statements: it includes educating congregations, challenging hateful language, supporting those targeted because of their identity and encouraging respectful engagement across religious and cultural boundaries.

Antisemitism refers to prejudice, hostility or discrimination directed at Jewish people because they are Jewish. Criticism of the Israeli government or its policies is not automatically antisemitic; however, criticism can cross that line when it targets Jewish people collectively, relies on anti-Jewish stereotypes or denies them the same dignity and rights afforded to others.

For Christian communities, confronting antisemitism also requires an honest understanding of the history of Christian anti-Jewish prejudice and the harm it has caused. Churches have a responsibility to ensure that their teaching and public engagement promote respect rather than hostility.

The latest appeal from Church of England leaders is therefore a call to action for the wider Christian community. It challenges churches to defend Jewish communities against prejudice while continuing to speak honestly about Palestinian suffering and the need for a just and lasting peace.

At its heart, the message is that defending one community’s dignity should never require denying another’s. Faith leaders have an important role in building relationships, challenging discrimination and ensuring that disagreement over political issues does not become an excuse for hatred.