Prince William makes first appearance since mysteriously withdrawing from event

Prince William wears a kippah, a traditional Jewish hat.

London:

Britain’s Prince William visited a London synagogue on Thursday and heard news of rising anti-Semitism, two days after he mysteriously pulled out of a high-profile royal event and returned to public duties due to what he called “personal issues.”

A week after the heir to the throne called for an end to the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza, William met young ambassadors from the Holocaust Educational Trust, who are seeking to tackle rising anti-Semitism in the UK.

On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced 54 million pounds ($68 million) in new funding to protect Jewish communities after data showed anti-Semitic incidents hit a record high in Britain last year.

During a visit to the Western Marble Arch Synagogue, the prince, who wore a kippah, a traditional Jewish hat, listened as Jewish students described how anti-Semitism was “exploding”, including death threats and attacks. .

He also met with 94-year-old Holocaust survivor Renee Salter to learn about her experiences.

William’s unusually direct intervention last week in the Gaza conflict where “too many people were killed” and Hamas had to release hostages generated international headlines as the royal family traditionally avoids contentious political issues.

But his office said he has been keeping a close eye on the region since becoming the first senior British royal to make an official visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories in 2018.

The 41-year-old is expected to come forward and make more public appearances after his father, King Charles, revealed earlier this month that he was undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer.

But his withdrawal from a memorial service at Windsor Castle on Tuesday for his godfather, the late King Constantine of Greece, sparked intense speculation as William’s wife Kate, who was also recovering from abdominal surgery last month, has not been seen since. Appear in public. Christmas.

Royal sources said his absence was officially due to unexplained “personal issues” and had nothing to do with his father’s illness, and that Kate remains in good condition.

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