Church of England Removes Gaza Tapestry After Accusations of Honoring Terrorists
Leeds Minster exhibition taken down after Jewish groups presented evidence of Hamas and PIJ members being named.
The Church of England has removed a tapestry titled "Stitch Their Names Together" from Leeds Minster after Jewish representative councils presented evidence suggesting it commemorated members of terrorist organizations. The tapestry, which listed names of individuals who died in the conflict with Israel, had been displayed as an act of remembrance for lives lost.
The Leeds Jewish Representative Council (JRC) provided information indicating that at least 18 known members of groups such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) were named on the tapestry. This followed an initial identification by the Jewish Leadership Council in London of 12 names with high confidence as belonging to members of terrorist groups.
Simon Myerson KC, chairman of the Leeds JRC, called for an investigation into how the exhibition was permitted to be displayed without appropriate oversight. He noted the display's coinciding with the Ten Days of Awe, the holiest period in the Jewish year, and stated that the Jewish community had not been consulted.
The Rev Paul Maybury, rector of Leeds Minster, confirmed that the exhibition was closed to the public upon receiving the new information. He had previously stated that the exhibition was appropriate for the venue, intended to commemorate the lives of those killed in Gaza since October 2023. Mary Evers, founder of the Stitch Their Names project, has dismissed the accusations as part of a smear campaign. The church has reportedly been reported to the police.
The tapestry had been scheduled to remain on display until Sunday. The church has not provided further comment beyond confirming the exhibition's removal.