Prince Charles to visit Israel, occupied Palestinian territories for first state visit

Prince Charles will visit Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories next month for the first time, on behalf of the British government, the Royal Court announced in a statement on Wednesday.

The Prince of Wales will attend the World Holocaust Forum at the invitation of Israel's President Reuven Rivlin, and will also meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank, where the heir to the throne will "undertake engagements".

"The Prince of Wales will visit Israel where, alongside other engagements, he will attend the World Holocaust Forum on 23rd January," Clarence House tweeted on Wednesday. "HRH will also visit the Occupied Palestinian Territories."

Many world leaders will attend the Fifth World Holocaust Forum, which will take place in Jerusalem on January 23, 2020.

The event will mark the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, where leaders will also focus on combating anti-semitism amid a spike in violence against Jews in Western states.

Prince Charles previously visited Jerusalem in 2016 for the funeral of former Israeli President Shimon Peres, and in 1995 for the funeral of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Last year, Prince William, Charles' son, made a visit of Israel and the West Bank during a tour of the Middle East, where he marked his respects at his great-grandmother's grave as well as the city's holy sites, including the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque.

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