Israeli President Reuven Rivlin met with the United Kingdom’s Prince William on Tuesday, asking the royal to bring a “message of peace” to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
“I know that you’re going to meet President Abbas. I would like you to send him a message of peace,” Rivlin told the Duke of Cambridge.
“And tell him it is about time, it is about time that we have to find together the way to build confidence. To build confidence as a first step to bring to [an] understanding that we have to bring to an end to the tragedy between us” that has been going on for 120 years,” said Rivlin.
Prince William, who is currently on the royal family’s first official visit to Israel, said that he looks forward to understanding the culture and history of the region during his visit.
“I, like you, look forward to understanding lots about the region and about hoping that peace in the area can be achieved,” he said. “I am very much looking forward to really absorbing and understanding the different issues, the different cultures, the different religions, culminating in a visit, which will be very symbolic and very interesting for me, in the Old City on Thursday, which I am very much looking forward to seeing.”
William, who is second-in-line to the throne, is slated to meet with Abbas on Wednesday.
