The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William has arrived in Israel as part of a historic five-day Middle East tour, for the first-ever official visit of a member of the British royal family to the tumultuous region London once ruled.
The duke had to meet Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu during the trip to keep the request of the UK government because it is seen hugely significant for UK-Israel relations.
The prince also meets Netanyahu on Tuesday and will see Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the occupied West Bank.
The visit comes just after Israel marked its 70th anniversary of independence and amid surges of violence along the Gaza border, including rocket attacks by Palestinian fighters and Israeli air raids. More than 100 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire during recent protests at the border with Gaza.
In Ramallah the duke is due to attend events focusing on issues facing refugee communities and providing “opportunities to celebrate Palestinian culture, music and food”, Kensington Palace said.
The prince, 36, arrived in Jordan on Sunday, where he kicked off his five-day Middle East tour by meeting young scientists, refugees and political leaders. He was hosted by Crown Prince Hussein, 23, a member of the Hashemite dynasty Britain helped install in then-Transjordan almost a century ago. The pair later watched the England-Panama World Cup match together.
> Shiuly Rina
Prince William Arrives in Israel for Historic Middle East trip
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