UK's Prince Charles to pay first state visit to Israel

The United Kingdom's Prince Charles will pay his first official visit to Israel next month for a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. The Prince of Wales's office confirmed Wednesday that he would attend the World Holocaust Forum at the invitation of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on January 23.

Prince Charles would also make his first official state visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories. He had previously visited Israel for the funerals of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and former president Shimon Peres, both key figures in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

In addition to the British royal, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and the presidents of Germany, Italy, and Austria will be attending the event titled "Remembering the Holocaust, Fighting Antisemitism".