'A POWERFUL EXPERIENCE'
Prince William tells Palestinians they ‘have not been forgotten’ on emotional visit to Israeli-occupied West Bank
PRINCE William told Palestinians they had not been forgotten on the first official visit to the territory by a British royal.
The Duke of Cambridge described his trip to the West Bank was a "very powerful one" during a speech at the British Consulate General in Jerusalem.
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He told people assembled at a garden party in the Holy City: "My message tonight is that you have not been forgotten, it has been a very powerful experience to meet you and other Palestinians in the West Bank and to hear your stories.
"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 can grow stronger."
William was was cheered by locals as he made his first visit to a refugee camp to learn about the lives of Arabs on the West Bank.
He then travelled a few miles away through the streets of the West Bank camp of Jalazone to visit a school and health clinic.
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The camp was opened in wake of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war - but today the tents have given way to concrete buildings.
Dozens of young men gathered outside the medical centre lining the street waiting for The Duke to leave and held up smart phones to take snaps.
As he left they clapped and cheered the royal who then walked around 50 metres along the street's rough surface looking around at the shops and homes.
Inside the medical centre William had shown off his paternal instincts when he met a group of Palestinian mums having their young babies vaccinated.
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With his third child Prince Louis around the same age as the babies being cradled by their mothers, the second in line to the thrown could not help cooing over one-month-old Naifa as she was given her jabs.
The royal said: "So tiny to have injections".
As the doctor performed the procedure and the infant began to cry, he added: "Is it always in the legs?"
Her mother Suhair Moussa was questioned by William, through an interpreter, and he looked surprised when he asked if it was her first child and she replied it was her fifth.
Earlier Mahmoud Abbas broke with Royal protocol by holding William's arm in Ramallah as the Prince walked a diplomatic tightrope today.
The Palestinian leader was seen firmly shaking William's hand before using his arm to hold just below the Duke's elbow as he guided him to his office for their historic talks.
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Such a breach of etiquette might well be interpreted as a sign Abbas was not willing to be dictated to by Israel - after the Prince was tasked with bringing a "message of peace" from the country to the disputed West Bank territory.
Speaking minutes later before a room full of cameras, the Palestinian president said it was an "honour" to receive the Prince, who came to the West Bank after visiting both Jordan and Israel.
He said he remained committed to a two-state solution, adding: "I hope this will not be the last visit and that your next visit will be in the state of Palestine when we have our full independence.
“Your royal highness, your visit to us will deepen and strengthen the ties between our two peoples.
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Prince William asked by President Rivlin of Israel to take message of peace to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas
"We are always in need of your constant support in our just cause which has taken a long, long, long time and is not solved."
The 82-year-old Abbas had earlier led the Duke to review the honour guard during a reception ceremony in Ramallah.
They then engaged in talks in the president's office in front of the British and Palestinian flags.
Despite the strictly non-political nature of his visit, Israel's President has already asked the 36-year-old to act as an unofficial envoy to Palestine.
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Speaking yesterday in Jerusalem, Reuven Rivlin told the Prince: "I would like you to send him a message of peace and tell him it is about time, it is about time that we have to find together the way to build confidence."
He continued: "Build confidence as a first step to bring to understanding that we have to bring to an end the tragedy between us that goes along for more than 120 years."
Amid charity visits, dinners and a meeting with Israeli 2018 Eurovision song contest winner Netta Barzilai, Prince William's stay has not been without controversy.
The listing of Jerusalem in the Palace itinerary as in the Occupied Palestinian Territories - as they are officially considered by the UN - provoked ire from Israelis including MP Ze’ev Elkin, who retorted that the city had been Israel's capital for 3,000 years.
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The UK officially recognises the occupation of Palestinian land by Israel as illegal.
Mr Rivlin's use of William as a go-between envoy between the two countries is unlikely to wash well with Palestinians, as activists call for an arms embargo between Israel and the UK.
Luda Aomori, of Palestine Action, said: “Britain has continued to arm Israel, sustaining Israel’s regime which is mercilessly ethnically cleansing the Palestinian population and forbidding Palestinians of their basic human rights.
“An immediate two-way arms embargo between the UK and Israel is long overdue and diplomatic figures such as Prince William must urge immediate action.”
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The Duke also visited Jalazone Refugee Camp and two schools in the area a part of his tour, which followed earlier visits to Jordan and Israel.
His historic visit comes months after dozens of Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces during protests this year at the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip ahead of 70th anniversary celebrations for the founding of Israel.
Commenting on the Israeli president's request to William, Britain's ambassador said: "I don't think that the duke will be bringing a particular message to either side.
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"But I think he'll be very interested in hearing from each side what they think they can do, what they think can be done more generally to move us out of the current situation and move us towards peace.
"We've obviously got a very strong interest in seeing progress from where we are now but I don't think the duke will be taking a particular political message."
Mr Rivlin, a former speaker in the Israeli parliament or Knesset, has made a point of reaching out to his country's Arab population and is known to support merging Jewish settlers and potentially millions of Palestinians into a single state.
He hailed William for "writing a new page in history" with his visit, but there were lighter moments in his remarks as he joked that while Israel had used British laws as the model for its own legal system, there was one aspect of British culture which it had unfortunately failed to import: the Premier League.
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Earlier the Duke paid a visit to the official residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke of the importance of William's presence in Israel.
He told the duke as he arrived: "It's a very historic visit. The whole people of Israel are excited."
The dad-of-three will now spend the remainder of his visit in Palestine, before flying back to the UK tomorrow night.
Prince William scores two out of three penalties in kickabout in Israel and then sweats on the beach
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