King Charles will hold behind-the-scenes talks with Arab leaders later this month to discuss a plan for peace in Gaza
- EXCLUSIVE: He hopes his ties with the Arab royal family can boost diplomatic initiatives
King Charles will hold talks with Arab leaders this month to discuss a roadmap for peace in Gaza, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
He hopes that his close work and personal ties with the Arab royal family can stimulate diplomatic initiatives and is conducting bilateral talks, according to sources. It is understood the meetings will take place in Dubai ahead of the COP28 climate summit, which starts on November 30, where Charles will deliver an opening speech on December 1.
Sources told the MoS that Charles will use the visit to hold talks with regional leaders to “promote interfaith harmony and dialogue.”
Experts believe he will try to “advance diplomacy efforts” by discussing the release of Israeli hostages and increased humanitarian aid.
Charles will act as a respected global statesman. He has long been deeply interested in the Arab world. He is known to believe that the West only has a chance of winning the war on terror by tackling the Israeli-Palestinian issue, which he refers to as “the real poison” infecting the entire world.
King Charles will hold talks with Arab leaders this month to discuss a roadmap for peace in Gaza, The Mail on Sunday can reveal
Experts believe he will try to “advance diplomacy efforts” by discussing the release of Israeli hostages and increased humanitarian aid.
The king is highly respected in the Gulf states and the Middle East, not least because of his sympathetic speeches on Islam. He has studied the Quran and even learned Arabic.
It is an opportunity to promote interfaith dialogue
The royal family also maintains relationships with rulers in the Middle East through horse racing. Last summer, Charles and Camilla were pictured at Royal Ascot with the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed.
The conflict in Gaza disrupted a US-brokered deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia that would have normalized relations between the countries, putting Saudi Arabia more firmly in the US security belt and fulfilling Israeli commitments on the Palestinian issue would be provoked.
The MoS understands that while Charles may not meet directly with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), he could communicate with him by proxy through the King of Bahrain and the Sultan of Oman. In August it was reported that the Saudi prince would officially visit Britain later this year, when King Charles would entertain him.
A source said: ‘The king is very concerned about the issue and while in the Middle East he is seizing the opportunity to hold bilateral talks. Is the purpose of the COP to resolve the crisis in the Middle East? No. But it is an opportunity to continue to listen and try to promote as much interfaith and intercommunity harmony and dialogue as possible in the shared ambition for a peaceful outcome.”
He is known to believe that the West only has a chance of winning the war on terror by tackling the Israeli-Palestinian issue, which he calls “the real poison” infecting the entire world.
Last week, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the king would meet with regional leaders ahead of COP28, but did not reveal what topics they would discuss. Palace aides said they hoped “the king’s unique ability to bring people together” will help find solutions. Charles also has a strong relationship with the British Jewish community and in 2020 became the highest-ranking royal to make an official visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Professor Yossi Mekelberg, associate fellow at Chatham House, said: ‘King Charles will do his best to boost diplomacy efforts and bring shades of gray to the discussion tainted by complete polarisation.
“While he cannot cross the British government’s line, he can emphasize the need to release the Israeli hostages and push for more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.”
Professor Mekelberg added that the king will “encourage the discussion of the bigger picture” by talking about the need to end the conflict through an agreement based on a two-state solution. He added: ‘We must be realistic about how much difference King Charles can make, but his words are powerful as the monarch of a key member of the UN Security Council.’
The meetings will continue Charles’ efforts on home soil. Four days after the October 7 Hamas attacks, which he condemned as “barbaric acts of terror,” the king spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Jordan’s King Abdullah to express his concerns for those struggling. The next day he met Britain’s Chief Rabbi at Buckingham Palace to discuss the impact of the attacks on Britain’s Jewish population.
During his Mansion House speech on October 18, the king emphasized the importance of “tolerance and civility” in times of “global unrest and heartbreaking loss of life.” Two weeks later, he had a private meeting with the Crown Prince of Kuwait, where they also discussed the conflict between Israel and Gaza.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment last night.