The United Reformed Church (URC) General Assembly passed an emergency resolution at its 2025 meeting in response to the Israeli government’s profoundly distressing military actions in Gaza.
The move follows the lead of the World Council of Churches (WCC), whose Central Committee issued a carefully considered statement during its meeting held in Johannesburg from 18-24 June.
In its statement, the WCC said: “We recognise a clear distinction between the Jewish people, our siblings in faith, and the acts of the government of Israel, and we reaffirm that the WCC stands firm against any kind of racism, including antisemitism, anti-Arab racism, and Islamophobia.
“The unbearable suffering inflicted on the people of Gaza, and the escalating violence and oppression in the West Bank and in Jerusalem compel the global fellowship of churches to speak with clarity, urgency, and commitment to the principles of justice under international law and ethics.”
In support of the WCC statement, the moderator of the West Midlands Synod, Revd Steve Faber, introduced Resolution 42 to the URC Assembly.
“Atrocities have continued,” Revd Faber said, citing Israeli breaches of ceasefire agreements, deliberate blockade of aid, indiscriminate civilian casualties, and comprehensive air strikes ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians.
“This is about ethics, not ethnicity,” he emphasised. “We must not allow people to believe that all Jewish people are responsible for these actions. The condemnation is directed at the Israeli government and its military, not the nation or Jewish people.”
Resolution 42 explicitly commends the WCC statement, which calls for an end to “apartheid, occupation, and impunity in Palestine and Israel”. It also accuses the Israeli military campaign of grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention, acts which may amount to genocide and/or crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Revd Faber acknowledged the contribution of Revd Dr Susan Durber, a URC minister, who serves as WCC President for Europe, who had a key role in the process that led to the WCC statement.
“We are witnessing genocide, and we must have the courage to name it as such,” he said.
During the debate, a member, whose family is Jewish, expressed support for the resolution. They affirmed the call to combat antisemitism, though asked for an understanding of the nuance within the Jewish diaspora around the actions of the State of Israel. Within their own family, there were both Zionists and pro Palestinians.
Speakers from the floor encouraged the URC to support the WCC’s position. There was a call for members to write to MPs, calling on the UK government to put an immediate end to UK arms sales to Israel, and urging the government to avoid breaches of international law.
After a period of impassioned discussion in favour of the motion, Resolution 42 was adopted with overwhelming support by the Assembly, affirming the URC’s commitment to justice, peace, equity, and a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in the Middle East.
In a later session, Revd Philip Brooks, Deputy General Secretary (Mission) introduced the a film about an ecumenical visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. Watch the film below.
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Philip also highlighted a range of resolutions agreed at previous General Assemblies. These have urged congregations to resist all forms of antisemitism and Islamophobia. They have also included a call on the UK government to cease arms sales to Israel, as well a request to the URC’s investment trusts not to invest in any companies that might benefit from the occupation of Palestine. There has also been a General Assembly resolution (2024) to avoid investing in any Israeli registered company until such time as the Israeli government abides by international law.
URC passes multiple resolutions about Israel and Palestine
Paper I2 General Assembly 2021 resolutions
Paper I3 General Assembly 2024 resolutions
Video and image: The Revd Dr Kevin Snyman.