Britain’s Prince Charles hails 'warmth of Palestinian people' during West Bank visit

The heir to the British throne visited the Mosque of Omar and the Church of the Nativity

Britain's Prince Charles during a visit at the Mosque of Omar in Bethlehem. EPA

Jan 24, 2020

Britain’s Prince Charles has praised "the warmth of the Palestinian people" during a visit to the West Bank on Friday.

The heir to the British throne was pictured shaking hands with bystanders in Bethlehem before heading into the historic Mosque of Omar.

Today, The Prince of Wales is visiting the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

In Bethlehem, HRH arrives on Star Street and meets stallholders and shop owners. pic.twitter.com/I9RSwtohZm
— The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) January 24, 2020

The Mayor of Bethlehem Anton Salman greeted Charles at the mosque, where the prince signed his name in Arabic in a visitor book. Charles also attended a service at the Church of the Nativity, where he was accompanied by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III.

A delegation of Muslim religious leaders at the gate leading to the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz, together with a Jewish group in what organisers called “the most senior Islamic leadership delegation" to visit the former Nazi death camp, in Oswiecim, Poland on Thursday January 23, 2020. American Jewish Committee via AP

Muslim leaders hold prayers in historic Auschwitz visit

Prince Charles to visit Palestine amid calls for UK recognition

Charles is on the second day of a two-day trip to the region, having spent Thursday in Jerusalem at an event to commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz.

The 71-year-old addressed the World Holocaust Forum, which was attended by more than 40 heads of state and government. He warned that "the lessons of the Holocaust are still relevant to this day".

Charles is the most senior British royal to visit Palestine. His son Prince William visited the West Bank in June 2018, the first official visit of a British royal to the occupied Palestinian territories.