William delivers touching message from him and Kate as he returns to duty
Prince William has told young people he and wife Kate are "extremely concerned about the rise in anti-semitism" as he visited a synagogue.
The prince spoke out while on a trip to the Western Marble Arch Synagogue - which was meant to happen in January for National Holocaust Day but postponed after the Princess of Wales underwent abdominal surgery - to meet young people representing Jewish students and others helping to combat antisemitism among the next generation to "reassure you all that people do care".
Students told William, who pulled out of a memorial service earlier this week due to a personal matter, the abuse had been "never-ending" and "dehumanising" and "it's never been like this before". William told them: "Anti-semitism has no place in society. Prejudice has no place in society. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I want you all to know you can talk about it and your experiences.
Prince William chats to young people at the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in London (PA)"Both Catherine and I are extremely concerned about the rise in anti-semitism that you guys have talked about this morning and I'm just so sorry if any of you have had to experience that, it has no place. That's why I'm here today to reassure you all that people do care and people do listen and we can't let that go."
Holocaust survivor Renee Salt, 94, sat with William and quietly spoke about her experiences at a Nazi concentration camp. William asked: "How did you manage?" Renee replied: "It wasn't easy. Somehow I survived." William reached out and held her hand when she described how her family were affected by the rise in antisemitism in recent months. Renee said the antisemitism was the worst she has witnessed since the Nazis in World War II. William said: "I'm so sorry it's got to this stage, it will get better."
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Cases of antisemitism have been on the rise since the October 7 raids by the Palestinian militant group Hamas killed about 1,200 and saw around 250 people taken hostage. The future king's visit to the Western Marble Arch Synagogue came after he called for the fighting in the Israel-Hamas war to end "as soon as possible". He said it was "critical that aid gets in and the hostages are released", in an impassioned statement released as he visited the London headquarters of the British Red Cross (BRC), which is playing a key humanitarian role in the region.
William meets with young people at the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in London today (PA)He told BRC executives that his 2018 visit to Israel and the West Bank – the first official trip there by a member of the monarchy – made a "lasting impression" on him and he has since followed the region closely. The UK Government welcomed William's intervention calling for the fighting in Gaza to end "as soon as possible", No 10 said.
William said in his statement: "I remain deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7. Too many have been killed. I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible. There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. It's critical that aid gets in and the hostages are released.
"Sometimes it is only when faced with the sheer scale of human suffering that the importance of permanent peace is brought home. Even in the darkest hour, we must not succumb to the counsel of despair. I continue to cling to the hope that a brighter future can be found and I refuse to give up on that."
William receives flowers to give to wife Kate (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust said: "Today His Royal Highness reminded us that antisemitism is not only a problem for the Jewish community but for all society. He listened to young Jewish students who are facing a deluge of antisemitic hate on campus, share their personal experiences of this anti-Jewish hate and he met young Holocaust Educational Trust Ambassadors, who are campaigning against antisemitism despite not being Jewish themselves.
""He spent time with Holocaust survivor Renee Salt BEM. When she was liberated nearly 80 years ago, she never could have imagined that once again, within her lifetime, there would be a global explosion of antisemitism. His Royal Highness’ visit sends a powerful message that Britain is a country where Jews, whether Holocaust survivors who came to find sanctuary or young Jewish students – are welcome and celebrated. He reminds us that even in the darkest days, the Jewish community is not alone.
"We thank His Royal Highness for his leadership on this issue and we are so grateful for his unwavering support for our cause and our community."
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