‘Welcome to Palestine’ — Abbas greets Duke
PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT Mahmoud Abbas told the Duke of Cambridge during his visit to Ramallah that he hoped the next royal visit would be to a fully independent state.
William became the first member of the monarchy to visit the Palestinian territories on behalf of the UK government when he crossed into the West Bank on Wednesday afternoon.
The meeting between the two men took place a day after Israeli President Reuven Rivlin told the Duke that he wanted him to take a “message of peace” to the Palestinian leader.
William was welcomed to the Palestinian Authority headquarters in Ramallah, which is a half-hour drive north of Jerusalem, by the Deputy Prime Minister Ziad Abu Amr.
He was escorted past a guard of honour formed by Palestinian police and their band and taken up to the presidential wing on the second floor, where he met the President.
Mr Abbas told the Duke he reaffirmed his “full commitment to achieving a full and lasting peace based on a two-state solution where the state of Palestine lives side by side with the state of Israel, with both supervising peace and security”.
He added: “Your Royal Highness Prince William, it is my honour to receive you in Palestine for your first visit.
“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.
“We are always in need of your constant support in our just cause which has taken a long, long time and is not solved.”
After the meeting, William and a massive security entourage went on a walking tour of Ramallah before attending a cultural event that staged Palestinian youth drama and musical performances.