Prince William starts Israel visit by honouring Holocaust victims

By Dan Williams

 

Britain's Prince William, accompanied by Chairman of Yad Vashem Avner Shalev, arrives to the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

 

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William paid homage on Tuesday to the six million Jews killed in the Nazi Holocaust, in a solemn start to the first official visit by a British royal to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

 

William, second in line to the throne, made no comment to reporters on entering the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem to tour its museum, lay a wreath in its Hall of Remembrance and meet two men who survived the Nazi genocide thanks to British intervention.

 

Henry Foner, 86, and Paul Alexander, 80, were among thousands of Jewish children taken in by Britain as part of the 1930s "Kindertransport" from a continental Europe that was falling to German conquest.

 

Speaking before William's visit, Alexander, freshly back from a bicycle ride that retraced his life-saving voyage as a toddler, said he was chosen to meet the prince as the youngest member of the Kindertransport.

 

"When I put my foot on English soil for the first time, it was like I had been reborn, because I left Nazi Germany and was received by the British people and I have an enormous debt of the thanks to the British people," Alexander told Reuters.

 

Originally from Leipzig, Alexander was reunited with his mother, who reached Britain the day before World War Two erupted, and with his father, who survived Nazi internment at Buchenwald. Many other kindertransport children were less lucky.

 

Foner, whose original name was Heinz Lichtwitz, was taken from Berlin to the Welsh city of Swansea in 1939, two years after his mother committed suicide - a victim, he believes, of despair at the doom gathering around Europe's Jews.

 

Foner received postcards from his father until the war cut off mail contact. In mid-1942, the elder Foner told his son in a final letter delivered through the Red Cross: "Our destiny is very uncertain." Months later, he was murdered at Auschwitz.

 

The correspondence was included in Yad Vashem's Kindertransport exhibit, as well as in Foner's memoir, a copy of which he said he hoped to present to Prince William.

 

"I was a six-year-old refugee kid, and here I am giving a book I wrote, to honour my father, basically, to a member of the royal family," he told Reuters. "It's great honour for me to be able to say thank you, symbolically, to the British people who saved my life."

 

Later in the day, the prince will see Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin before heading to Jaffa and Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean coast to meet young people participating in a football-based youth programme.

 

During the visit, which Britain has described as non-political, William is also scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the occupied West Bank and engage with Palestinian youngsters.

 

(Editing by Jeffrey Heller, Andrew Heavens, William Maclean)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-06-26

That's nice. 

I'm happy he's making the trip.

It is historic. 

But of course it will have no impact on any peace process. 

Off topic troll post removed also replies to it

Well done William ,well done .

When has any member of the british royals made a jot of difference to the affairs of the world.

Jaunt around the world travelling first class all the way at the expense of others.  

Qualifications needed

Permanent fixed smile, wave like a pansy and ability to utter weasel words from dusk till dawn

Has there ever been a more useless ineffective group of inbreds than the british royal family?

Not their fault cap doffers are happy to kow tow and gawp at them I suppose

Edited June 26, 20188 yr by Expatthailover

13 hours ago, Expatthailover said:

When has any member of the british royals made a jot of difference to the affairs of the world.

Jaunt around the world travelling first class all the way at the expense of others.  

Qualifications needed

Permanent fixed smile, wave like a pansy and ability to utter weasel words from dusk till dawn

Has there ever been a more useless ineffective group of inbreds than the british royal family?

Not their fault cap doffers are happy to kow tow and gawp at them I suppose

So you're not a fan?

 Oh how nice. 

14 hours ago, Expatthailover said:

Has there ever been a more useless ineffective group of inbreds than the british royal family?

That he didn't ask to be born into it, he and his brother seem to be making the best of, in your opinion , a bad thing.

 

Sure they never have to worry about money but it is not all roses! 

 

The soft arm of UK diplomacy? 

14 hours ago, Expatthailover said:

When has any member of the british royals made a jot of difference to the affairs of the world.

Jaunt around the world travelling first class all the way at the expense of others.  

Qualifications needed

Permanent fixed smile, wave like a pansy and ability to utter weasel words from dusk till dawn

Has there ever been a more useless ineffective group of inbreds than the british royal family?

Not their fault cap doffers are happy to kow tow and gawp at them I suppose

Diana re landmines,  Harry re Invictus games, William re SaR & how about the duke of York fanning the dinghies to safety when RFA Sir Galahad was bombed in 82? 

16 hours ago, Expatthailover said:

When has any member of the british royals made a jot of difference to the affairs of the world.

Soft power of this kind doesn’t work that way and never takes the credit in any kind of political sway.

Edited June 27, 20188 yr by goldenbrwn1

2 hours ago, evadgib said:

how about the duke of York fanning the dinghies to safety when RFA Sir Galahad was bombed in 82? 

 

I believe the role of some heli pilots during that conflict was to hover away from the ships between them and the Exocets and to climb when the missiles got close to try and fool the missiles into climbing with them, as thus going over the ship.  Ineffective? Maybe but hardly the act of a chinless wonder?

 

I think so far Winsors 1 - Bushes/Clintons/Trumps 0

Edited June 27, 20188 yr by VocalNeal

As a Brit, I am disgusted with William for visiting the internment camp that is Israel. As for his visit to the holocaust memorial, it's just another chance for evil israel to justify the 'right to return" of the jews, while continuing to both persecute the Palestinians, and continue to steal their land. The fact that he is also staying at the King David Hotel, which was bombed by jewish activists after the Second World war, is crass beyond belief.
Britian should have nothing to do with israel, plain and simple.

3 minutes ago, MrMuddle said:

As a Brit, I am disgusted with William for visiting the internment camp that is Israel. As for his visit to the holocaust memorial, it's just another chance for evil israel to justify the 'right to return" of the jews, while continuing to both persecute the Palestinians, and continue to steal their land. The fact that he is also staying at the King David Hotel, which was bombed by jewish activists after the Second World war, is crass beyond belief.
Britian should have nothing to do with israel, plain and simple.

Haters gonna hate.

 

Edited June 27, 20188 yr by Jingthing

1 hour ago, MrMuddle said:

As a Brit, I am disgusted with William for visiting the internment camp that is Israel. As for his visit to the holocaust memorial, it's just another chance for evil israel to justify the 'right to return" of the jews, while continuing to both persecute the Palestinians, and continue to steal their land. The fact that he is also staying at the King David Hotel, which was bombed by jewish activists after the Second World war, is crass beyond belief.
Britian should have nothing to do with israel, plain and simple.

As a "Brit" I am dismayed that someone, claiming to be a fellow national, could express such bigoted and ignorant views,  on the State of Israel, on The Holocaust and on the visit to the Middle East by the Duke of Cambridge. 

 

I take  some comfort from the fact, that like so many of the Jew hating persuasion, you cannot even spell the name of the country to which you claim to belong.

 

Plain and simple enough for you?

1 hour ago, MrMuddle said:

As a Brit, I am disgusted with William for visiting the internment camp that is Israel. As for his visit to the holocaust memorial, it's just another chance for evil israel to justify the 'right to return" of the jews, while continuing to both persecute the Palestinians, and continue to steal their land. The fact that he is also staying at the King David Hotel, which was bombed by jewish activists after the Second World war, is crass beyond belief.
Britian should have nothing to do with israel, plain and simple.

Funny how some can make my skin crawl without even meeting them.

1 hour ago, MrMuddle said:

 The fact that he is also staying at the King David Hotel, which was bombed by jewish activists after the Second World war, is crass beyond belief.
Britian should have nothing to do with israel, plain and simple.

That was the reason WHY they bombed the King David Hotel , so that Britian would have nothing further to do with Israel , get the Britianish soldiers out their Country

2 hours ago, JAG said:

As a "Brit" I am dismayed that someone, claiming to be a fellow national, could express such bigoted and ignorant views,  on the State of Israel, on The Holocaust and on the visit to the Middle East by the Duke of Cambridge. 

 

I take  some comfort from the fact, that like so many of the Jew hating persuasion, you cannot even spell the name of the country to which you claim to belong.

 

Plain and simple enough for you?

 

2 hours ago, 300sd said:

As a Brit, I am disgusted with William for visiting the internment camp that is Israel. As for his visit to the holocaust memorial, it's just another chance for evil israel to justify the 'right to return" of the jews, while continuing to both persecute the Palestinians, and continue to steal their land. The fact that he is also staying at the King David Hotel, which was bombed by jewish activists after the Second World war, is crass beyond belief.
Britian should have nothing to do with israel, plain and simple.

 

A great spell checker you are. A typo, plain and simple.

 

 

Japan and the USA are the best of friends now. The USA nuked them. No joke.

 

To suggest that the UK should hold a grudge against Israel over events that happened over 70 - 80 years ago is absurd. Did he really stay at the King David? Cool.

 

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, maximillian said:

 

4 hours ago, 300sd said:

As a Brit, I am disgusted with William for visiting the internment camp that is Israel. As for his visit to the holocaust memorial, it's just another chance for evil israel to justify the 'right to return" of the jews, while continuing to both persecute the Palestinians, and continue to steal their land. The fact that he is also staying at the King David Hotel, which was bombed by jewish activists after the Second World war, is crass beyond belief.
Britian should have nothing to do with israel, plain and simple.

No 300sd did not say that.

4 hours ago, 300sd said:

Funny how some can make my skin crawl without even meeting them.

300sd said this above. 

I am British and I have to admit that I never heard about the "Kindertransport" until I read the OP.

 

How desperate those parents must have been to ship their children to Britain alone - some of those children became the only surviving members of their families.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindertransport

 

 

11 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Japan and the USA are the best of friends now. The USA nuked them. No joke.

 

To suggest that the UK should hold a grudge against Israel over events that happened over 70 - 80 years ago is absurd. Did he really stay at the King David? Cool.

 

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

555, but the zionists few millenia claim to those lands is ok though?  Too funny. Come on man! Anyway, your being a strong Zionist I can understand why you don't want this trip by Good Prince William to help the peace process.

Myself,  I think his telling Abbas that his people are not forgotten sent a very important message. If it was  from the E.U. they picked a perfect person to do it.  I think I read he was the first British Royal EVER to go into  the Palestinian Territories. Very curious timing being right after the Kushner visit. Hopefully this is the E.U. telling Trump and the Saudi Crown Thug "not so fast".

16 hours ago, MrMuddle said:

As a Brit, I am disgusted with William for visiting the internment camp that is Israel. As for his visit to the holocaust memorial, it's just another chance for evil israel to justify the 'right to return" of the jews, while continuing to both persecute the Palestinians, and continue to steal their land. The fact that he is also staying at the King David Hotel, which was bombed by jewish activists after the Second World war, is crass beyond belief.
Britian should have nothing to do with israel, plain and simple.

I understand your concerns but I choose to take his telling the Palestinians that "they are not forgotten" was the real mission of his trip. I hope so anyhow. 

10 minutes ago, pegman said:

...
Anyway, your being a strong Zionist I can understand why you don't want this trip by Good Prince William to help the peace process.

...

You make some obnoxious assumptions. Really, that comment is SICK. You actually think supporting the existence of Israel by definition equates with not supporting a peace process and/or a two state solution? You are WRONG. 

 

I never said I didn't want this royal visit to help with a peace process. I said it wouldn't. The UK is not a significant power at this point in history in this conflict. 

Edited June 28, 20188 yr by Jingthing

3 minutes ago, pegman said:

I understand your concerns but I choose to take his telling the Palestinians that "they are not forgotten" was the real mission of his trip. I hope so anyhow. 

You replied to an explicitly deeply Jew hating post with sympathy? SICK. 

35 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

You replied to an explicitly deeply Jew hating post with sympathy? SICK. 

I like Jews but dislike what has resulted from Zionism. I read the hate a Jewish friend of mine receives on FB from Zionists and like him I won't be deterred from my want of fairness to all in Israel/Palestine. Your shot was cheap. I would have expected better from you.

4 minutes ago, pegman said:

I like Jews but dislike what has resulted from Zionism. I read the hate a Jewish friend of mine receives on FB from Zionists and like him I won't be deterred from my want of fairness to all in Israel/Palestine. Your shot was cheap. I would have expected better from you.

 

It's hard to walk that line of righteousness when both parties are in the wrong.

12 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Japan and the USA are the best of friends now. The USA nuked them. No joke.

 

To suggest that the UK should hold a grudge against Israel over events that happened over 70 - 80 years ago is absurd. Did he really stay at the King David? Cool.

 

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile appapp

Agreed JT; We Brits have long forgiven the axis powers for atrocities committed within living memory yet many within our own ranks pipe up about colluden or potatoes at the drop of a hat in order to knock today's generation of English.

16 hours ago, MrMuddle said:

As a Brit, I am disgusted with William for visiting the internment camp that is Israel. As for his visit to the holocaust memorial, it's just another chance for evil israel to justify the 'right to return" of the jews, while continuing to both persecute the Palestinians, and continue to steal their land. The fact that he is also staying at the King David Hotel, which was bombed by jewish activists after the Second World war, is crass beyond belief.
Britian should have nothing to do with israel, plain and simple.

Classic anti Semitism.These bigots are too guarded these days to express their hate and bile openly, so it is more "between the lines." Still one knows it when one comes across it.

 

These anti Semites will bluster that I am confusing racism with legitimate criticism of the state of Israel.That is untrue.Criticism of Israel and support for the Palestinians is of course in order:it's more or less my position.

 

But language gives the anti Semites away.They cannot help referring to Nazi inspired internment camps and of course disparaging the holocaust.They are essentially not much more than old fashioned Jew haters.They will point to the Jews who are foes of Zionism and the State of Israel (Jewry has always had its dissenters - a credit to them in a my view).But don't be fooled.

 

Meanwhile Israel - a country its neighbours wish to annihilate - remains the only democracy in the region.The anti Semites of course ignore the crimes and brutality  of most of the other countries in the region - who despite the rhetoric have done virtually nothing to help the Palestinians.

 

 

On 6/28/2018 at 9:14 AM, jayboy said:

Classic anti Semitism.These bigots are too guarded these days to express their hate and bile openly, so it is more "between the lines." Still one knows it when one comes across it.

 

These anti Semites will bluster that I am confusing racism with legitimate criticism of the state of Israel.That is untrue.Criticism of Israel and support for the Palestinians is of course in order:it's more or less my position.

 

But language gives the anti Semites away.They cannot help referring to Nazi inspired internment camps and of course disparaging the holocaust.They are essentially not much more than old fashioned Jew haters.They will point to the Jews who are foes of Zionism and the State of Israel (Jewry has always had its dissenters - a credit to them in a my view).But don't be fooled.

 

Meanwhile Israel - a country its neighbours wish to annihilate - remains the only democracy in the region.The anti Semites of course ignore the crimes and brutality  of most of the other countries in the region - who despite the rhetoric have done virtually nothing to help the Palestinians.

 

 

If I am being accused of being anti-Semetic, then I expect that you would think the same of these people ? (see link below). Helpful hint - they are Jewish.
Democratic Israel ? When the choices range from very right wing to highly extremist right wing ?
Accusing protestors of being anti-Semetic, when criticising Israel, is just a pathetic attempt to stifle genuine criticism of a hateful, apartheid regime.

https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/30jewishgroupsbds/