Prince William’s first full day in Israel involved a varied itinerary which ranged from commemorating the Holocaust to playing football, and from talking peace to strolling on the beach.
It included solemn moments, like when he rekindled the “eternal flame” at Yad Vashem in an intense ceremony. There were lighter elements: he took delight in presenting Reuven Rivlin with a Liverpool FC shirt, knowing that the Israeli President loves the club.
The Yad Vashem tour was “very moving,” William said, and he commented to his guides that in the future he would like a longer tour and a visit with his family. The experience “really taught me quite a lot more than I thought I knew about the true horrors of what happened to the Jews during the war,” he said.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said that it was “profoundly moving and deeply inspiring” visiting the Holocaust memorial with William, the Duke of Cambridge.
When he left Yad Vashem, the Holocaust history became more personal. During a visit to Benjamin Netanyahu, he met people who owed their lives to his great-grandmother.
Princess Alice, Prince William's great-grandmother, hid three members of the Cohen family – Rachel, Tilda and Michelle – in her palace in Athens during the Nazi occupation of Greece. Descendants of Rachel Cohen were waiting at Mr Netanyahu’s residence to meet him.
“I told him that he must be very proud of his great-grandmother for saving defenceless Jews,” Mr Netanyahu said.
After Netanyahu, it was Mr Rivlin’s turn to host William, and the President surprised the audience by steering the discussion towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“I know that you are going to meet President Abbas,” said Mr Rivlin. “I would like you to send him a message of peace and tell him it is about time that we have to find together the way to build confidence as a first step to bringing an end to the tragedy between us that has gone on for more than 100 years.”
This comment was unexpected, as Israeli presidents normally leave politics to the Prime Minister, and also because London was keen to steer clear of discussing the conflict. The Duke did not get drawn in to the topic, apart from expressing “hope that peace in the area can be achieved.”
William did focus more on hopes for Jewish-Arab coexistence later in the day -- but with actions not words.
He watched youngsters from both communities -- kitted in UJIA-sponsored shirts -- playing a football game that was organised by two organisations that promote coexistence, the Equaliser and the Peres Centre for Peace. The prince took part in a penalty shoot-out with them, scoring two of his three shots.
Of all the photographs that will endure from today’s itinerary, it will probably be those from his final day-time engagement -- a visit Frishman Beach, where he strolled in a short sleeve shirt, chatting to mayor Ron Huldai and visiting a lifeguard tower.
This was the ultimate gift to the Israeli tourism industry, which will be printing these pictures in brochures, promoting chilled-out Tel Aviv, for years to come.
