Three prominent Church of England bishops have accused the UK government of contributing to a 'culture of impunity' in which Israel has accelerated its de facto annexation of the West Bank. In a letter to the Guardian, Bishops Guli Francis-Dehqani, Rachel Treweek and Graham Usher expressed incredulity at the government's failure to publish its legal response to a July 2024 International Court of Justice advisory opinion ordering an end to the occupation.
The bishops, who visited Palestinian Christian communities in the occupied West Bank last week, said they heard from people who felt they had 'no other choice but to leave [their homes] or to die standing'. They highlighted administrative changes, settlement expansion, settler violence, road closures, house demolitions, and restricted access to water and electricity as instruments of de facto annexation.
Since October 2023, violent attacks by rightwing settlers have accelerated, with a UN report last month detailing killings, property destruction, forced displacement and an 'asphyxiating impact' of Israeli laws and policies. The bishops described families living in 'fear and torment', terrorised and denied dignity, with no protection.
The bishops called on the international community to uphold obligations under international law, and urged the UK government to publish its ICJ response and avoid aiding or assisting Israel's illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territory. They concluded: 'The situation in the West Bank is a tragedy foretold. Before it is too late, we must stand up and do the right thing.'
