Engaging with the Israel/Palestine Issue - How Faith Communities in Leeds Have Adopted an Interfaith Approach

Sep 28, 2026

Booklet presenting two projects hosted by St George's Church in Leeds that encouraged churches to engage with the Israel/Palestine issue through interfaith cooperation. Introduces the aims: describing project activities and prompting churches to grow aware of the issue and consider practical responses. Emphasizes the difficulties and responsibilities of interfaith work, including learning from Jewish and Muslim colleagues, while stressing that no single individual will solve the problem alone.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages32

Reading Time1 h 21 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Why Should the Church Engage with the Israel/Palestine Issue?

The Leeds Israel/Palestine Forum, 2005-2008

The St George's Israel/Palestine Focus, 2011 Onwards

What Might a Local Church Do?

Notes

Engaging withEngaging withthe lsrael/the lsrael/Palestine IssuePalestine IssueHow Faith Communities in LeedsHow Faith Communities in LeedsHave Adopted an Interfaith ApproachHave Adopted an Interfaith Approach David G Kibble Digitized by the Internet Archivein 2019 https://archive.org/details/engagingwithisra00kibb Engaging with theIsrael/Palestine IssueHow Faith Communities in LeedsHave Adopted anInterfaith Approach David G Kibble Formerly Deputy Headteacher,Huntington School,YorkReader,St George's Church,Leeds Contents 1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 2 Why Should the Church Engage with the Israel/Palestine Issue?..5 3 The Leeds Israel/Palestine Forum, 2005-2008………………………………………8 4 The St George's Israel/Palestine Focus,2011 Onwards…………………14 5 What Might a Local Church Do?…………………………………………………………………………22 Notes………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………26 The cover image is copyright C Grove Books Ltd Copyright C David G Kibble 2014 # Introduction Saint Luke records that Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem as he approachedit at the start of the week that ended in his death.On my last two visits toIsrael I too wept.Jesus wept because he foresaw that many Jews would rejecthis message and that the city itself would be destroyed.I wept because I feltso sad that,in the land in which Jesus'ministry took place,peoples of thethree Abrahamic faiths remain persistently unable to find a way of agreeingamongst themselves how Israelis and Palestinians can live together in peace. This booklet outlines two projects which have been hosted by St George'sChurch in Leeds.The booklet has two aims:first,to describe what happenedin both projects;and,secondly,to encourage churches to become more awareof the Israel/Palestine issue and to think what they might do as a result.InLeeds we are fortunate;with Jewish and Muslim communities on our door-step we have been able to adopt a multi-faith approach.Churches in someparts of the United Kingdom will not be able to do this.Working on such anissue in an interfaith way is fraught with dangers and pitfalls;given the rightconditions,however,it can be immensely rewarding.We have found thatour'going out'to engage with our Jewish and Muslim cousins has been metwith enormous gratitude and hospitality.Working with them in this way isto engage with them on an issue which for most Jews and for many Muslims is something that is close to their hearts.It is amuch more meaningful interfaith exercise thansimply swapping stories about how each prac-tices their faith. No individual or churchshould imagine theywill solve the Israel/Palestine issue No one individual or church should ever im-agine that they will singlehandedly solve the Israel/Palestine issue.Nevertheless,it remains true that the more peoplebecome aware of the problem the closer we might progress towards a peacesettlement.A local church might,for example,send a letter to a member ofparliament;the letter might tip the balance and prompt them to speak to theForeign Office...and so on. Examining the Israel/Palestine issue will mean some Christians might needto evaluate ideas and perspectives they have perhaps held for years and todevelop others of which they have never before thought.Churches whichinvolve themselves in looking at the issue of Israel/Palestine,particularly if they do so with the help of Jews and Muslims,will soon find that there arenumerous complicating factors and nuances to be grasped.I,for one,havehad my own understanding enormously deepened by looking at the issuewith Jewish and Muslim colleagues.I hope that this book will offer stimulusand support to churches who wish to embark on a similar path.For me theIsrael/Palestine issue has become a real passion—and inextricably involvedwith my Christian faith. # Why Should the Church Engagewith the Israel/Palestine Issue? Some while ago a Jewish colleague told me that a number of churches in theLeeds area had been

FAQs

What are the two aims of the booklet?

To describe what happened in two hosted projects and to encourage churches to become more aware of the Israel/Palestine issue and consider what they might do as a result.

Why does the author say the topic is emotionally and spiritually significant?

The author links Jesus’ grief for Jerusalem to the persistent inability of people of the three Abrahamic faiths to find agreement, and describes engaging with Jewish and Muslim colleagues as deepening their own Christian faith.

What reasons does the booklet give for Christians to engage with Israel and Palestine?

It argues that Israel/Palestine is central to biblical history and that peace and justice concerns are tied to the faith convictions of Old Testament prophets and Jesus.

Sep 28, 2026

Upload by Guten tag