Archbishop of Canterbury who criticized Israel repeatedly forced to resign

Arguably the holder of the most prominent position in the worldwide Anglican Communion, Justin Welby, has been forced to resign after the shocking revelation that a friend and colleague was able to brutally abuse boys and young men for four decades.

“Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury,” read Welby’s statement on Tuesday.

“The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth. When I was informed in 2013 and told that the police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow."

“It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.” 

The departure of the archbishop follows many months of inflammatory statements regarding the Jewish state.

Welby’s public interventions have become increasingly political as the Hamas-Israel war has continued. As recently as a few weeks ago, several UK Evangelical Christian ministry leaders composed a joint letter to Welby to protest his support for the non-binding, political and controversial International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion regarding Israel’s continued presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The Aug. 2 statement issued by the former archbishop accused Israel of “denying the Palestinian people dignity, freedom and hope”, and added that ending the occupation [i.e. Israeli military presence in the biblical regions of Judea and Samaria] is “a legal and moral necessity.” 

In a letter entitled, “If Jesus promised Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem, who are we to divide His land?” the Christian leaders wrote that the ICJ ruling is “unbiblical.”

They continued: “Yet in his statement, Archbishop Justin insists that governments worldwide ‘reaffirm their unwavering commitment to all decisions by the International Court of Justice, irrespective of the situation.’  

“For a Christian leader to express such unbounded confidence in the opinions of secular powers is shocking, ignoring biblical truth that the world is under the influence of the Father of Lies (1 John 5:19) who stirs up its rulers against the decrees of God (Psalm 2).”

“The Bible is not just a book of theology; it is a book of historical facts,” responded Chief Rabbi of South Africa Dr. Warren Goldstein to Welby’s August statement.

“What today the UN and its ICJ calls the West Bank, the Bible calls Judea and Samaria, and lies squarely within the borders of the land that God promised and delivered to the Jewish people. Which raises the question: does Archbishop Welby actually believe in the Bible? Does he regard [the Bible] as mere myth?”

“How can anyone who believes in the Bible say that Israel is an illegal occupier of the Temple Mount?” Goldstein asked, in a social media video post. “Archbishop Welby is effectively rejecting the Bible,” he added.

In March, the office of the archbishop issued another anti-Israel statement citing the risk of famine in Gaza, due to the actions of the Israeli government, despite Israel facilitating the transfer of 787,544 tons of aid into Gaza, exceeding its legal obligations. Welby’s remarks were based on a report that Israel refuted with evidence.

The official website of the archbishop’s statements still carries the false claim that the Ahli hospital in Gaza was struck by an Israeli missile, as initially reported by the BBC and other media, even though the damage was later found to have been caused by a misfired rocket launched by Hamas.

While speaking to bereaved Jewish families, Welby did caution that people should not jump to conclusions because automatically accusing Israel has echoes of the ancient blood libel against Jewish people.

His statement was then ‘clarified,’ since it was later perceived to be insensitive, although the sentiment was correct. His feeling on the matter appeared to be at odds with the ‘official’ statement released about the ‘atrocity’ perpetrated at the hospital.

This apparent conflict, and the general politicization of the archbishop’s statements, can be attributed to a department in London devoted to the work of the collective group of Church of England bishops, especially those that have seats in the unelected Parliamentary House of Lords.

Since much of this work is deeply political, the policy unit staff are often tasked with writing or giving advice on the statements of the archbishop, his fellow archbishop of York, and other bishops. 

Members of the unit have undertaken work visits to Israel and the West Bank territories, but generally only hear from representatives who express interest in promoting Palestinian independence.

While former Archbishop Welby has been clear in his stance against antisemitism, there would appear to be a disconnect, explained Goldstein.

“Antisemitism is surging to the point where Jews feel unsafe in Europe,” Goldstein said. “Jewish children in London, for example, can no longer wear school uniforms with Jewish emblems in public for fear of being attacked. This tells us that something is terribly wrong. And Europe’s foremost religious leaders – Archbishop Welby and Pope Francis – do nothing.”

In 2019 the archbishop did stand with his friend, the UK’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, against the antisemitism in the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn. He has also written a foreword to the Church of England’s response to historical Christian antisemitism, “God’s Unfailing Word.”

However, by publicly denouncing Israel in the middle of its war against Iranian-backed, radical Islamist terrorist organizations, Welby and other leaders have only encouraged the enemies of the Jewish state and Western democracies, explained Rabbi Goldstein.

“The Jihadi ideology that seeks to destroy Israel is a clear and present danger to the future of Europe. With open-border policies in the UK and across Europe, immigrants have poured into these countries, many brandishing a violent Jihadi ideology deeply hostile to Christianity, liberal democracy and Western values.”