Prince William is again making history on his tour of the Middle East, this time by visiting Israel in an official capacity, and now by meeting President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.
The Associated Press reports Prince William is the first British royal ever to pay an official visit to both Israel and the Palestinian territories. It’s explicitly a non-political visit, but it is an important one that may raise the prince’s profile around the world. His wife, Kate Middleton, was unable to join him on the trip, as she is on maternity leave.
The Duke of Cambridge visited a Palestinian refugee camp and facilities run by a U.N. agency in the West Bank. He visited a school and a clinic in the Jalazoun refugee camp in Ramallah on Wednesday. Both facilities are run by UNWRA, the U.N. relief programme that provides health care, education and social services to some 5 million Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, the AP reports.
It has also been reported in the media that the Duke was served hummus and other local dishes for lunch in Ramallah, where he met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Footage shows Prince William wearing sunglasses as he sat outside watching a traditional Arab folk dance.
The Palestinians have been eager to welcome the Prince, hoping his visit will give them a boost as they struggle with the current Trump administration in the US, which they consider biased in favour of Israel.
