In a significant meeting at Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby met and prayed with Palestinian Christians.

Human rights lawyer, Dalia Qumsieh, and campaigner Mays Nassar joined Justin Welby. Reverend Dr Munther Isaac joined remotely via video link. He could not travel due to the recent closure of the Allenby Bridge between Jordan and the West Bank.

The Archbishop heard about distress of the Palestinian Christian community in West Bank cities such as Bethlehem and Jenin, where residents experience assaults and land encroachments daily.

Emphasis was placed on an incident in July which saw the Palestinian Christian Kisiya family exiled from their ancestral holdings in Bethlehem’s Makhrour Valley.

Archbishop Welby expressed his grave concern about the thousands of Palestinians, including Christians, who are detained in Israeli military prisons without any formal charge, sometimes for years.

The Archbishop affirmed the value of human life and the need for both Israeli and Palestinian citizens to live with safety, dignity, and freedom.

The visit was managed by  Sabeel-Kairos, the Council for Arab and British Understanding, and FairSquare.

It culminated in an evening prayer service in the Crypt Chapel, where Archbishop Justin prayed for the visiting delegates, Palestinians and those living in and around regions of conflict.

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