Prince William Plans To Bring ‘Lasting Peace’ To Middle East
Image by Getty Images
(JTA) — Britain’s Prince William plans to make bringing a “just and lasting peace” to the Middle East his “lifelong project,” a British tabloid reported, citing Palace source.
“The visit had a profound effect on the Duke,” The Mirror reported, quoting what it called a “highly-placed Palace source.” Prince William also holds the title Duke of Cambridge.
The newspaper reported on Sunday that before his visit, the prince received extensive briefings on “the labyrinthine politics that have doomed previous attempts at peace to failure.” At the end of the trip he reportedly told his aides: “This is the start of something new. I will forever honor my commitments to the people I have met.”
Tradition dictates that royals stay neutral rather than entering the political landscape at home or abroad, according to the Mirror. But William, according to the report, plans to use his global platform to help the region achieve peace.
During his three-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, William met with politicians, officials, high-profile Israelis from all walks of life, youth, children and refugees. He also spent two days in Jordan.
At the British consul general’s residence in Jerusalem, William told the Palestinian guests, in a speech he reportedly rewrote after visiting a refugee camp near Ramallah: “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.”
He visited Jerusalem sites holy to all three major religions and paid his respects at the grave of his great-grandmother Princess Alice, who rescued a Jewish family during the Holocaust.
The article said that he has thought about the legacy of his mother, Princess Diana, who led the fight for causes including men suffering from AIDS in Britain, victims of landmines in Angola and Indians with leprosy.
The article also cited the royal source as saying: “The visit had a profound effect on the Duke. The places he visited, the people he met and the stories he heard have all moved him very deeply.”
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
