The President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference call on the UK Government to recognise Palestine as an Independent State
29 July 2025
From the Revd Richard Andrew and Matthew Forsyth, President and Vice-President of the Conference.
We have been appalled and horrified by the pictures and first-hand witness accounts of the dire situation in Gaza, particularly around access to food for those existing there.
No-one could fail to be moved by the images of emaciated children and we have a moral duty to heed and act on the warnings from countless aid agencies of mass starvation and malnutrition.
We welcome the pause in military activity, but this is not enough. Red lines in international law have been crossed by the Israeli Government and they and Hamas must provide explicit acceptance of the right to peace, security and prosperity for all Israelis and Palestinians.
The Methodist Conference this year accepted a memorial (motion) from the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District Synod asking the Conference to write to the UK government urging it to recognise the independent state of Palestine, a position the Methodist Church has long held.
The motion stated that over the last twelve months, “the Israeli government has accelerated the seizure and annexation of Palestinian land, in violation of international law. This has implications not only for Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza who are forcibly displaced but also for any prospect of a future peace.”
The time is now right for the Government to take decisive action to recognise the state of Palestine, its right to self-determination, and to ensure safety for all its citizens across the West Bank and we urge them to do this without delay.
We ask the Methodist people to continue to pray for those caught up in the violence in Gaza who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. We also continue to pray for those in the West Bank who are living in constant fear of indiscriminate border closures and settler violence against them.
Prayer
Creator God, you breathed life into this world and us all. We long for an end to suffering in Gaza and pray for freedom for all your creation.
Give to those in authority wisdom to act decisively for the good of all, so that we may see a just and peaceful resolution in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel
In the name of the Prince of Peace, Amen.