The Daily Mail in Great Britain reported early in the morning (Sunday) that King Charles is considering coming to Israel this year, according to various quoted sources. According to the sources, King Charles may visit to mark the 75th anniversary of the state, and during his visit he is also expected to visit the Palestinian Authority.
President Yitzhak Herzog, who was present at the coronation of King Charles, is mentioned in the news as “the king’s friend”, and as “He was personally involved in lobbying for the king to visit.” The report also states that Herzog told Charles that he was “waiting to welcome him to Israel, but the threat of a repeat of the recent rocket attacks from Gaza was a ‘stumbling block’ to setting a date,” according to insiders.
If King Charles visits Israel, he will be the first British sovereign to visit the country. Lord Polk, who was the director of the “Conservative Friends of Israel” for more than 25 years, said of this: ‘There is no doubt that Charles will be the one to break the pattern. Preparation is being done by his team to pave the way for this visit.”
“It is likely that Charles will also visit the Palestinians to avoid creating a controversy,” the report added. “Privately, the king visited Israel three times before he ascended the throne, because there was a fear that if the late queen were to visit the country, it would upset the Arab world.”
“The fact that the late queen never visited the country is a matter of regret,” Polk continued. Another diplomatic source added: “Charles has made it clear in recent years that he is not afraid to travel to Israel, and that he will not allow being the monarch to prevent him from visiting.”