Church of England bishops accuse Israel of 'acting above the law' in West Bank

Senior Church of England bishops have accused Israel of violating laws in the occupied West Bank, in a damning letter which claims there is now "little distinction between settler violence and state violence".

The four bishops who spoke out are led by Rachel Treweek, the bishop of Gloucester, who has previously spoken out against Israeli violence against Palestinians.

The letter comments on the escalating dispossession, home demolitions and arson committed by Israeli soldiers and settlers amid an increase in violent military raids on West Bank cities and towns.

"There has always been a close relationship between successive Israeli governments and the settler movement, but there now seems to be little distinction between settler violence and state violence," the letter states.

It goes on to urge the Israeli government to "stop acting as if it is uniquely above the law".

The bishops who signed the letter include Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford, Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich and Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark.

All four sit in the House of Lords, and at least two are expected to be in the running to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

In the letter, the bishops state there has been a rise and intensification of land confiscation and settlement constructions alongside "longstanding patterns of oppression, violence and discrimination against Palestinians".

The statement contains examples of Palestinian families who were forcibly dispossessed of their land and highlights the plight of Palestinian Christians who are at risk of losing everything.

The bishops also called on the United Nations to "move beyond strong words and agree a robust set of measures to ensure Israel’s compliance" with international law.

The statement comes a week after the UN General Assembly said Israel must end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In July, Bishop Rachel Treweek called Israel an apartheid state and said she stands "boldly" with people who compare the Israeli treatment of Palestinians to how Black people were treated in apartheid South Africa.

The comments from Treweek were published in a reflection posted on the Diocese of Gloucester website, coming after she visited Israel and the occupied West Bank.

The Bishop worked in the Anglican church in South Africa in 1994 following the abolishment of the racist apartheid system, using her experience to draw comparisons to Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.

Since Israel launched its war on Gaza, there has been a sharp uptick in violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Last week, a 10-hour Israeli offensive on the West Bank town of Qabatiya killed seven people and sparked global outrage after a shocking video showed Israeli soldiers throwing dead Palestinian bodies from a rooftop.

At least 716 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the Gaza War began last October, according to the Palestinian health ministry.