Prince William Calls Palestine A ‘Country’ In Meeting With Mahmoud Abbas
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JERUSALEM (JTA) — Britain’s Prince William described the Palestinian Authority as a country while making the first visit by a member of the royal family there.
“I’m very glad our two countries work so closely together and have had success stories with education and relief work in the past, so long may that continue,” the prince told P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where he was greeted by an honor guard.
In Ramallah The Duke of Cambridge meets Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. pic.twitter.com/5rpouknxb3
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) June 27, 2018
The prince’s use of the term country to describe the P.A. raised some eyebrows in Israel, though Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not comment on it.
On Wednesday evening at the British consul general’s residence in Jerusalem, William told the Palestinian guests: “My message tonight is that you have not been forgotten … I hope that through my being here and understanding the challenges you face, the links of friendship and mutual respect between the Palestinian and British people will grow stronger.”
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