THE rift between the Church of England and the Jewish community deepened last night after a planned meeting between Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the two Chief Rabbis of Israel was thrown into jeopardy.

Rabbi Shlomo Amar, head of the Sephardi Jews, and Rabbi Yona Metzger, head of the Ashkenazi Jews, had been planning a visit to London in May for talks with Dr Williams at Lambeth Palace.

But today’s Jewish News reports that the rabbis could snub the meeting, after the Church’s divestment decision. The Israeli religious leaders are concerned about the vote by the General Synod to sell shares in Caterpillar and other companies whose products are used by Israel in the West Bank.

The vote led the Chief Rabbi in this country, Sir Jonathan Sacks, to launch a strong attack on the Church last week, accusing it of damaging JewishChristian relations.

A spokesman for Lambeth Palace said: “This is a meeting which has been a long time in the planning. We have never finalised the date. It has always been a long term thing.”

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