Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge pose ahead of a lunch at the Royal Palace of Stockholm during day one of their Royal visit to Sweden. Image by Victoria Jones-Pool/Getty Images

(JTA) — In a break with what many believe is a decades-long unofficial boycott of Israel, the British Royal House announced what appears to be a state visit to the Jewish homeland by one of its senior-most members, Prince William, whose official title is the Duke of Cambridge.

The announcement on March 1 on the Facebook account of the British Embassy in Israel read: “The Duke of Cambridge will visit Israel, Jordan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in the Summer.” It contained no further details.

To date, no senior member of the Royal House has visited Israel in their official capacity in what many observers believe is a policy adopted following Zionist movements’ use of violence against British nationals when the United Kingdom ruled the Mandate on Palestine – an area comprising modern-day Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Whereas members of the British Royal Family, including Queen Elizabeth, have made state visits to Kenya and other countries where acts perceived as terrorism were committed against Britain and its citizens by anti-colonialist combatants, they have stayed away from Israel in their official capacity since the country’s establishment in 1948.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount