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| Britain's Prince William and Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah walk along the red carpet at Amman's Marka military airport at the start of William's tour of the region on June 24, 2018 (AFP Photo/KHALIL MAZRAAWI) |
Amman (AFP) - Prince William flew in to Jordan on Sunday at the launch of a Middle East tour that will see him become the first British royal to pay official visits to both Israel and the Palestinian territories.
He was
greeted at Amman's Marka military airport by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah,
hosting William for the two-day visit in Jordan.
The
36-year-old Duke of Cambridge's Royal Air Force plane touched down at the small
airport in eastern Amman, where he was given a red-carpet welcome by the heir
to the Jordanian throne.
Royal
guards carrying rifles fitted with bayonets and wearing Jordan's traditional
red-and-white chequered keffiyeh scarves stood to attention as the prince, in a
dark suit, descended from the plane.
The visit
by the second in line to the British throne has been billed as a chance to bond
with 23-year-old Prince Hussein, a fellow graduate of Britain's Royal Sandhurst
Military Academy.
On Sunday
evening, William attended a birthday party in honour of his grandmother, Queen
Elizabeth II, whose official 92nd birthday was celebrated on June 9, at the
British ambassador's residence.
"I
greatly admire the resilience you in Jordan have shown in the face of the many
security and humanitarian challenges that have confronted you as a result of
conflicts in this region," William said at the party.
"The
way in which you opened your doors to hundreds of thousands of refugees from
Syria, not to mention your longstanding commitments to Palestinian refugees, is
remarkable," he said.
"In so
many ways, Jordan as an open and stable society is a beacon of hope for many
other people in the Middle East."
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Britain's
Prince William attends a birthday party in honour of his grandmother,
Queen
Elizabeth II, at the residence of the British ambassador Edward Oakden's (L)
house in the Jordanian capital Amman on 24 June, 2018 (AFP Photo/AHMAD ABDO)
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On Monday,
William will visit the ancient Roman ruins of Jerash, north of the capital, as
well as a vocational training college for young Jordanians and Syrian refugees.
That
evening, he will begin his history-making visit to the Jewish state and
occupied West Bank during which he will meet both Israel's Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.
Seeds of
conflict
Kensington
Palace has underlined the "non-political nature of His Royal Highness's
role -- in common with all royal visits overseas".
But the
region is a minefield of sensitivities.
The visit
comes at a particularly volatile time after US President Donald Trump
recognised Jerusalem as capital of Israel and moved Washington's embassy there,
sparking Arab outrage and deadly clashes.
Britain
governed the region under a League of Nations mandate for almost three decades
until Israel's independence 70 years ago, and is still blamed by both sides for
sowing the seeds of a conflict that continues to wrack the region.
Ahead of
William's arrival, the official schedule's reference to east Jerusalem as
"in the Occupied Palestinian Territories" sparked anger among right-wing
Israeli politicians.
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Britain's
Prince William and Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah walk
along the
red carpet at Amman's Marka military airport at the start of William's tour
of
the region on June 24, 2018 (AFP Photo/KHALIL MAZRAAWI)
|
Official
visits by British royals take place at the request of the UK government, but
statements from the prince's household have given little explanation for the
timing of this trip.
Israel has
long pushed for an official visit by a member of the British monarchy.
Other
members of William's family -- including his father Prince Charles -- have made
unofficial visits to Israel and east Jerusalem in the past.
During the
trip, William will have plenty of reminders of Britain's role in the region.
In
Jerusalem, he will stay at the King David hotel, which was Britain's
administrative headquarters during its rule of Palestine prior to Israeli
statehood in 1948.
In 1946,
militant Jews waging violent resistance against British rule bombed the
building, killing and wounding scores of people, many of them British civil
servants or military personnel.
Whilst in
Jerusalem, William will lay a wreath at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial.
He will
also visit the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and pay tribute at the tomb of his
great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Greece, who has been honoured by Israel
for sheltering Jews during World War II.
In the West
Bank city of Ramallah, he is to hold talks with Abbas and also meet Palestinian
refugees and young people.
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