On 11 November 2026, the Synod of the Protestant Church in Germany expressed solidarity with Christian women and men in the West Bank The church parliament adopted the declaration at the end of its meeting in Würzburg following a lengthy debate. According to the Protestant Press Service, 50 delegates voted in favour and 15 against; 21 abstained.
In the declaration, the synod focuses on the situation of Palestinians, particularly the Christian population in the West Bank. It cites restrictions on movement, violence and destruction, as well as a lack of economic prospects and emigration. According to the Protestant Church in Germany, or EKD, the declaration advocates peace, justice, freedom of religion and the dignity of all people in the region.
The proposal followed a visit by Imad Mousa Haddad, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, to the meeting in Würzburg. Haddad had spoken to journalists about the situation in the region of Bethlehem and called on churches in Germany to act together. According to the Protestant Press Service, synod president Anna-Nicole Heinrich announced that the declaration would also be sent to the bishop as a letter.
There was no agreement in the church parliament on the form the response should take. Matthias Kannengießer, president of the General Synod of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany, had proposed writing an open letter to Haddad instead of issuing the solidarity declaration. Responsibility for this would have rested with the outgoing presidium of the EKD Synod. The amendment was narrowly rejected.
The declaration is a statement by the German Protestant Church on an international conflict, not a government decision. The debate also showed that the church parliament discussed not only the content but also the appropriate way to respond to the bishop’s account.
The meeting, held from 8 to 11 November 2026, also focused on democracy. The synod adopted a motion on promoting democracy through the church and Diakonie. Among other things, it called for church spaces for social interaction to be strengthened. It also called for reliable support for civil society initiatives against right-wing extremism and voiced concern about the financial uncertainty facing organisations funded through the federal “Demokratie leben” programme.
The meeting marked the end of the term of the 13th Synod. The body is one of the EKD’s governing organs and deliberates on church matters and legislation, among other things. According to the EKD, the next synod is due to convene from 23 to 25 April 2027 in Hanover It will also consider further church reform proposals.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).