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Britain's Prince Edward arriving in Israel on Wednesday. (Mati Milstein / British Embassy) Last update - 02:41 06/09/2007 Britain's Prince Edward arrives in Israel for first royal visit in over a decade By Daphna Berman, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Israel, Yad Vashem  Prince Edward, the earl of Wessex and the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth, arrived in Israel Wednesday, marking the first royal visit here in more than a decade. But despite his high-profile four-day tour, the prince's visit has been categorized as "private" and so the situation remains unchanged: not a single member of the British royal family has ever been to Israel on an official visit. Prince Edward, who is seventh in line for succession to the British throne, is the third member of the British royal family to visit Israel. Both his father, Prince Philip, the duke of Edinburgh, and his brother, Prince Charles, have been here on unofficial visits. The Prince was invited by the Israel Youth Award program, a self-development group for Jewish and Arab youth that is affiliated with the Duke of Edinburgh's Award International Association. In recent years, Prince Edward has taken on several of his father's roles, including the awards scheme. Advertisement During his visit, Prince Edward will not be meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert or President Shimon Peres. His schedule includes a tour of Yad Vashem Thursday, where a tree has been planted in honor of his grandmother Princess Alice of Greece, who was recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations" for sheltering a Jewish family in her Athens home during the Holocaust. He will also attend Shabbat dinner in Jerusalem with Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, as well as prominent members of the British community in Israel. Though members of the royal family are frequent fliers and have paid numerous official visits to other countries in the Middle East, Israel has yet to be bestowed the honor. During her more than five decade reign, Queen Elizabeth has undertaken over 256 official overseas visits to 129 different countries, including Jordan in 1984. During a 1979 tour of the Middle East, she visited several Arab countries include Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Other members of the royal family have also paid official visits to the region. In 1989, Prince Charles and his then wife, Diana, visited the United Arab Emirates. Last year, the prince and his new wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, visited Egypt and Saudi Arabia as part of a two-week official tour. And in 2004, Prince Charles visited Iran, where he met with then president Mohammed Khatami in what British officials described as "entirely non-political." Wednesday, a Buckingham Palace official confirmed that Prince Edwards's visit was "private," but would not comment on the reasons that members of the royal family have yet to pay an official visit here. "Official visits are organized and taken on the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth office," Meryl Keeling, a press officer for the royal family said from London. A spokesperson for the Foreign Office, in turn, said that Israel is "not unique" in not having received an official royal visit. "Many countries have not had an official visit," the spokesperson said. "Members of the royal family travel extensively, and not having dialogue with the Prime Minister or Foreign Minister [during visits to foreign countries] is not uncommon." The Foreign Office spokesperson added that the queen and Prince Philip have restricted their travel considerably in recent years, presumably because of their age. "State visits, both incoming and outgoing, are not at the same frequency as they were 10, 20 or 30 years ago." Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was the first member of the British royal family to visit Israel when he took part in a 1994 ceremony at Yad Vashem honoring his mother. A year later in 1995, Prince Charles visited Israel to attend Yitzhak Rabin's funeral. In recent years, however, there have been two official Israeli state visits to Britain; President Chaim Herzog visited Britain in 1993, and President Ezer Weizman visited in 1997. Last year, former British Ambassador to Israel Simon McDonald told Haaretz that a member of the British royal family will only make an official state visit to Israel once there is peace. "The key issue in deciding a state visit is peace, and when there is peace, there will be a state visit," he said. "The queen is our head of state and so we need to be careful." McDonald added that when there is peace, he "will be pushing" for a state visit to Israel. Lord Greville Janner, a member of the House of Lords and a leading figure in the British Jewish community, said that an official state visit to Israel would be too "politically controversial." "A state visit would be a very clear gesture that the government does not want to make because of the reaction that might arise from neighboring states," Lord Janner told Haaretz Wednesday. "I do hope that the queen will visit Israel on a state visit. It's a pity, but they do not want to stir up trouble." Other prominent members of the British community also expressed disappointment in the decision to classify the visit as private. "Israel has existed for 60 years now, and it is time we had an official royal visit," said Brenda Katten, chair of the Israel, Britain and Commonwealth Association. "It feels strange that we are the only ones excluded, and I don't know why that is. We've been told that when Israel has peace, someone will come, but the fact of the matter is, that other countries haven't had peace and they've nevertheless received official visits." The British Embassy in Tel Aviv said that the government "regularly looks at places members of the royal family should visit and will continue to do so." It said, however, that the decision takes into account "a combination of diary commitments, the objective for the proposed visit, and the situation on the ground. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Follow the leader Will Florida's Jews follow Joe Lieberman's example and vote Republican? Show of strength Israel's successful test of a new dual-stage missile wasn't meant for Iran's eyes.   1.   I`m here but I`m not here? 18:42  |  duh 05/09/07   2.   Well, he is welcome as long as he does not represent the 18:50  |  Dudu Tavor 05/09/07   3.   He can not make an "official visit" 19:40  |  Mark 05/09/07   4.   Israel should keep him 19:45  |  Jimsbaatar 05/09/07   5.   For Dudu Tavor # 2 20:16  |  Oliver Clickfool 05/09/07   6.   The offspring of a bunch of incestuous Germans, called the 20:45  |  Andreas 05/09/07   7.   No, Click the Fool, he does not have to be a Socialist in order 21:11  |  Dudu Tavor 05/09/07   8.   Never good enough ! 21:21  |  Londoner 05/09/07   9.   But Israel is not an official country 23:04  |  Tim 05/09/07   10.   #2 You mean those newspapers that tell it like it is? 23:11  |  Don Camillo 05/09/07   11.   the prince 23:32  |  wh 05/09/07   12.   wh 23:35  |  ontario 05/09/07   13.   no, really? 00:21  |  edgar 06/09/07   14.   Israel exists thanks to Britain 00:26  |  Kevin 06/09/07   15.   londoner 00:30  |  les 06/09/07   16.   #8 Let me Respond as an American 00:41  |  ralphsrant1 06/09/07   17.   Londoner 00:48  |  rich 06/09/07   18.   No. 8 - Of Course it`s Good Enough! 01:28  |  Jewish Londoner 06/09/07   19.   #14 response from another American 02:08  |  Kevin 06/09/07   20.   No `official` Royal visit to Israel. Why? 02:20  |  Maureen Ann 06/09/07   21.   Is HRH Andrew not a Jew? 03:29  |  Hannah 06/09/07   22.   Kevin 06:41  |  Connie 06/09/07   23.   Why the fuss? 07:42  |  Ari ben Yisrael 06/09/07   24.   Kevin your an idiot 07:59  |  Antony 06/09/07   25.   To Kevin - and on Israel`s opnly interest in England 08:48  |  Ariel 06/09/07   26.   Let him meet Katsav and Hirschon as well 09:10  |  SJ 06/09/07   27.   #9TIM HAS RULED OUT 50%OF THE WORLD 10:13  |  PAUL HARRIS 06/09/07   28.   maureen Ann # 20 10:24  |  bruce 06/09/07   29.   the British Royal family are Germans 10:26  |  Jewboy 06/09/07   30.   Who incited the riots of 1920`s 10:31  |  Jewboy 06/09/07   31.   British foreign policy and Arab riots. 10:35  |  Giles Martin 06/09/07   32.   Kevin#19 New Mexico Show Go Back To MExico? 10:40  |  LagunaGeno 06/09/07   33.   HE WILL CONQUER JERUSALEM 10:45  |  indrajaya 06/09/07   34.   Royal Visit 10:46  |  Jack 06/09/07   35.   British Royalty 10:49  |  Mark 06/09/07   36.   #8 Let me Respond as an American 10:54  |  London Boy 06/09/07   37.   Who is this chap again? Never heard of him. 10:54  |  Cucumber sandwich 06/09/07   38.   Giles Martin- who are you kidding? 11:18  |  Jewboy and proud 06/09/07   39.   I am not being spat on. It is raining. 11:21  |  Avi 06/09/07   40.   22/24/25/32 Balfour Declaration and creation of Israel 11:37  |  Kevin 06/09/07   41.   He was in Israel,that`s official. Stop stirring 12:00  |  PETER SM 06/09/07   42.   Should a jackel/leper state be recogized by anyone? 12:06  |  Hannah 06/09/07   43.   Dudu about neo-Socialism in Britain 12:07  |  Dani Harel 06/09/07   44.   #22 Ungrateful Connie 12:08  |  Ben Alofs 06/09/07   45.   Re: is HRH not a jew? 12:21  |  Charley 06/09/07   46.   Reply to Jew boy# 29 look in your own family 12:32  |  SJ 06/09/07   47.   The Brits and the Briss 12:44  |  Ronnie Wolman 06/09/07   48.   Good! 12:48  |  John 06/09/07   49.   Prominent British Jews in Israel. 12:55  |  Jack 06/09/07   50.   #40 kevin and ben alofs tell history as it wasnt 13:27  |  victor hardman 06/09/07   51.   HANNAH Israel is recognised by most of the worlds countries 13:28  |  PETER SM 06/09/07   52.   B.ALOFFS.The Brits listened to the Arabs&kept out Jews in WW2 13:39  |  PETER SM 06/09/07   53.   If British Royal Falls in the Forest... 13:43  |  FOX 06/09/07   54.   @Tim 13:47  |  Ben 06/09/07   55.   Ben Aloof #44 13:49  |  FOX 06/09/07   56.   KEVIN the Brits gave many forts to the Arabs 13:54  |  PETER SM 06/09/07   57.   Crazy Hannah revealing more motivation 14:00  |  Hannah 06/09/07   58.   Ben Alofs, HRH, & gratitude... 14:02  |  Simon Jenkins 06/09/07   59.   `Oliver Clickfool`???!!!!?? 14:05  |  Simon Jenkins 06/09/07   60.   Kevin about the British and the ME 14:20  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 06/09/07   61.   The Royal family visit to ISRAEL 14:33  |  Tenne David 06/09/07   62.   Stop Complaining 14:38  |  Stephen 06/09/07   63.   If Israel want the Queen to visit 15:02  |  Chris Linthwaite 06/09/07   64.   Sj stop being jealous 15:42  |  Jewboy 06/09/07   65.   Ben Alofs 15:56  |  Danite 06/09/07   66.   British were victims of terrorism 16:02  |  Rey 06/09/07   67.   remember the irgun terror org ? 16:11  |  mehmet 06/09/07   68.   No 8: the classic pom 16:13  |  Jewish Australian 06/09/07   69.   Kevin: is it the tequila or the hot Mexican sun 16:17  |  Bruce 06/09/07   70.   No. 16 Ralph 16:20  |  steve 06/09/07   71.   Reply to # 57 Jew Boy getting it completly wrong again 16:21  |  SJ 06/09/07   72.   Ben Alofs 16:24  |  Danite 06/09/07   73.   Represent 16:31  |  Dan Johansson 06/09/07   74.   Ben, matey, how right you are 16:34  |  Stefanie 06/09/07   75.   Lock him up 16:36  |  Dan Johansson 06/09/07   76.   History Kevin History! 16:43  |  Dan Johansson 06/09/07   77.   Mehmet: too many Turkish figs 16:44  |  Loula 06/09/07   78.   Kevin 16:56  |  Danite 06/09/07   79.   #40 17:07  |  Fed Up 06/09/07   80.   #29 Jewboy 17:44  |  Boycott 06/09/07   81.   Museum to Terror in Downtown TA... 18:00  |  Tipton 06/09/07   82.   Mehmet(dana) and the Irgun 18:20  |  danite 06/09/07   83.   Boycott 18:24  |  Danite 06/09/07   84.   Prince Won`t Hold his Nose To Shake Olmert`s Hand 18:30  |  chet 06/09/07   85.   #63 steve 18:33  |  Boycott 06/09/07   86.   Craving for recognition 18:38  |  L A 06/09/07   87.   hannah senior contributor 18:45  |  scanadu 06/09/07   88.   # 36 London Boy 18:54  |  Lynn 06/09/07   89.   # 5 Oliver Clickfool. For your Information... 18:57  |  Kath` 06/09/07   90.   You`re a dull-witted fellow, Simon Jenkins # 52 18:58  |  Clickfool 06/09/07   91.   Ben Alofs 19:06  |  Connie 06/09/07   92.   Different times, different morals (Ben Alofs #44; re Connie) 19:13  |  Tosefta 06/09/07   93.   # 5 Oliver Clickfool.An Addendum when my response comes out.. 19:19  |  Kath` 06/09/07   94.   Where do you get this drivel, Kath ? # 69 19:44  |  Clickfool 06/09/07   95.   perhaps the Royals read Haaretz 19:45  |  woof 06/09/07   96.   62/64 Success of Haganah Proves Brit Bias Toward Jews 20:28  |  Kevin 06/09/07   97.   There must be no formal visit to a mutiple human rights abuser 20:50  |  Nick Ferriman 06/09/07   98.   #31 20:59  |  B 06/09/07   99.   Kevin the nonlearner 21:25  |  Israelit 06/09/07   100.   For Kath # 71 21:27  |  Clickfool 06/09/07   101.   A royal... 21:29  |  Webster 06/09/07   102.   Dear boycott , Face facts 21:44  |  Jewboy 06/09/07   103.   #75 Actually it shows british incompetence 21:49  |  Joe Jew 06/09/07   104.   who ruined the british royal family? 21:53  |  nmf 06/09/07   105.   Unless you are US politician 21:57  |  jim 06/09/07   106.   kevin...israel exists thanks to britain? 21:58  |  maria 06/09/07   107.   People call me stupid, but can`t answer the facts 22:01  |  Kevin 06/09/07   108.   Scions of King David, German Jews 22:09  |  David Ben-Ariel 06/09/07   109.   Antony #24 22:52  |  Veritas 06/09/07   110.   PRINCE EDWARD 23:01  |  ILISAM 06/09/07   111.   kevin and " Facts" 23:04  |  Joe Jew 06/09/07   112.   # 76 Clickfool. Can you Read?If so please retract ... 23:07  |  Kath` 06/09/07   113.   #79 MORE HILARITY FROM NICK 23:08  |  PAUL HARRIS 06/09/07   114.   Kevin and The "facts" 23:09  |  Joe Jew 06/09/07   115.   #88 very funny but we are not amused 23:10  |  Jewboy 06/09/07   116.   Who Cares!!! 23:20  |  De 06/09/07   117.   For nmf # 86 23:27  |  Clickfool 06/09/07   118.   #42 Hannah.. A Jackel state 23:27  |  Sel 06/09/07   119.   well said "Jewboy" 23:36  |  jenjen 06/09/07   120.   hows about an Official Unofficial visit? 23:48  |  I.A. 06/09/07   121.   parasitic hannah, we produce nobel prices, you 23:57  |  vladimir 06/09/07   122.   @56, chris 00:07  |  vladimir 07/09/07   123.   #53 Margie the so called moderate 00:12  |  Labhras 07/09/07   124.   #74 Tosefta; different times, different morals? 00:14  |  Ben Alofs 07/09/07   125.   #74 Well there Connie, that`s the first truthful 00:28  |  tad 07/09/07   126.   Ralphsrant#16 00:37  |  wibism 07/09/07   127.   PLease keep posting Hannah and Friends 01:11  |  TOBIA 07/09/07   128.   British Royalty is an anacronism ... so who cares??? 02:41  |  Mr. Ami Goldman 07/09/07   129.   Labhras the illiterate #105 03:03  |  Tuemi 07/09/07   130.   MAUREEN N They paid OFFICIAL visits to Saudi Arabia. 03:09  |  PETER S.M. 07/09/07   131.   Kevin - answer these facts 03:14  |  Tuemi 07/09/07   132.   Indrajaya & Maureen Ann 03:37  |  Avrum 07/09/07   133.   Hooray for the Prince 03:59  |  Ky 07/09/07   134.   #90 KEVIN CONTINUE ABOUT NAZI AND ZIONISM 04:15  |  TOBIA 07/09/07   135.   #73 Clickfool 04:35  |  Ky 07/09/07   136.   Yo Kevin, Read this......No really read it! 04:40  |  Shimon 07/09/07   137.   "123 Teumi the wandering Jew. 05:29  |  Labhras 07/09/07   138.   #20, Maureen Ann 05:39  |  Silvienne 07/09/07   139.   Differences between dreams and reality (Ben Alofs #118) 05:40  |  Tosefta 07/09/07   140.   #88, Clickfool is correct 05:41  |  Silvienne 07/09/07   141.   #124, Peter SM... 05:43  |  Silvienne 07/09/07   142.   #132, Avrum 06:37  |  Silvienne 07/09/07   143.   #127, Tobia to Hannah & Friends... 06:39  |  Silvienne 07/09/07   144.   Don`t complain: Britain still supports all of Israel`s wars 06:51  |  peacelover 07/09/07   145.   Kevin`s Source of Chutzpah 07:06  |  Tex 07/09/07   146.   #90 Nazis and Zionist Deals 07:21  |  Kevin 07/09/07   147.   #25 Ariel and the Arab riots 07:24  |  hala 07/09/07   148.   131 - Facts Answered! Now answer to this! 07:27  |  Kevin 07/09/07   149.   #144, peacelover 07:33  |  Silvienne 07/09/07   150.   visiting th "sacred" exhibition in the British Library 07:48  |  Osnat 07/09/07   151.   Kevin -. is that what you call a reply?!?! 08:19  |  Tuemi 07/09/07   152.   35 Mark of LA 08:21  |  Mark of Lewiston 07/09/07   153.   #14 Bad, bad mistake, Kevin 08:22  |  hala 07/09/07   154.   #24 Antony, name-calling demeans you 08:28  |  hala 07/09/07   155.   #25 Ariel to Kevin 08:37  |  hala 07/09/07   156.   #67 Merhaba. Mehmet 08:47  |  hala 07/09/07   157.   #148 kevin and no one has the right to give away land 08:52  |  victor hardman 07/09/07   158.   # London boy and history 08:54  |  hala 07/09/07   159.   And we should care for an "offical" visit by a figurehead? 08:54  |  Zuriel 07/09/07   160.   still bitter about the mandate 08:57  |  don 07/09/07   161.   #66 Rey and British victims of terrorism 09:01  |  hala 07/09/07   162.   Don`t lose any sleep,the ones that really matter come on oficial 09:14  |  James McNamara 07/09/07   163.   # 76 Dan Johansson and hysterical history 09:16  |  hala 07/09/07   164.   #69 Bruce, lay off the Pim`s 09:22  |  hala 07/09/07   165.   #82 Mehmet chastized by a member of the tribe of Dan 09:27  |  hala 07/09/07   166.   Hannah banana 09:28  |  Darling Claudia 07/09/07   167.   # 92 Tosfeta, I bow before you 09:35  |  hala 07/09/07   168.   #148 Kevin and ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem 09:44  |  hala 07/09/07   169.   Many thanks to KY # 135 09:44  |  Clickfool 07/09/07   170.   kevin and the real answer 09:48  |  Joe Jew 07/09/07   171.   # 121 Vladimir quoth: "We produce nobel prices lsic[" 09:48  |  hala 07/09/07   172.   Osnat and british fossilised scholarship 09:51  |  Jewboy 07/09/07   173.   Kevin and apartheid 09:56  |  Joanna 07/09/07   174.   Tad 09:57  |  Connie 07/09/07   175.   #20 red face 09:59  |  Rab Burns 07/09/07   176.   Kevin, Nazis and reality 10:02  |  Joe Jew 07/09/07   177.   Kevin you sound just like the british colonial officials 10:06  |  Jewboy and proud 07/09/07   178.   Kevin 10:22  |  Connie 07/09/07   179.   145 Tex`s Terrifying Text Tamed 10:24  |  Kevin 07/09/07   180.   Kevin and promoting terror 11:49  |  Joanna 07/09/07   181.   168/170/173/177 thanks for the sincere responses 18:49  |  Kevin 07/09/07   182.   Who cares if Eddie is here? 13:25  |  ka 08/09/07   183.   joe jew 176 16:59  |  realism 08/09/07   184.   victor hardman 157 20:19  |  realism 08/09/07   185.   kevin and facts 181 21:05  |  Jewboy 08/09/07   186.   Realism and morality 21:11  |  Joe Jew 08/09/07   187.   danite 72 23:07  |  realism 08/09/07   188.   joe jew 186 23:28  |  realism 08/09/07   189.   "Realism" and Fake facts 14:58  |  Joe Jew 09/09/07   190.   Realism and virtual comparisons. 15:11  |  Jewboy 09/09/07   191.   #9 14:08  |  Moshe 16/11/07   192.   #14 14:21  |  Moshe 16/11/07   193.   #40 14:40  |  Moshe 16/11/07   194.   #14 kevin 02:16  |  danny 17/11/07   195.   To Hala #155 15:05  |  Jerusalem Jew 20/11/07   196.   Oil 21:57  |  David 19/01/08

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