Prince William gets a taste of Tel Aviv beach life
On his way over to them, the prince made the effort to stop and talk to people watching and cheering from the sidelines before telling them to "enjoy the beach."
By TAMARA ZIEVEBritian's Prince William at the beach of Tel Aviv(photo credit: NIV AHRONSON/POOL)
In a short window of some twenty minutes, Prince WIlliam got a whirlwind introduction to Tel Aviv beach culture during a visit with Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai to the popular and ever-bustling Frishman beach on Tuesday afternoon.The two watched a spot of footvolley before climbing up the steps of the lifeguard tower for a good view of the sea. The Duke of Cambridge then returned to the sand where top Israeli surfers Lee Korzits, Omri Hazor and Shushu Aharoni were waiting for a scheduled chat with him.On his way over to them, the prince made the effort to stop and talk to people watching and cheering from the sidelines before telling them to "enjoy the beach."William told Huldai he was sorry he hadn't brought his swimming trunks to such a beautiful beach and the mayor presented the prince with flip flops and a towel.The three surfers had brought white, red and blue surf boards to the beach in honor of the British flag and they waited for William around a plate of watermelon and Bulgarian cheese - a popular Israeli beach snack.Taking to The Jerusalem Post ahead of the prince’s arrival, windsurfing champion Korzits said she was excited to meet William and quipped that felt like she was about to meet a character from Game of Thrones, a fantasy drama TV series which features many British actors playing royals.William discussed with the surfers youth empowerment and environmental protection, both causes supported by William and his brother Prince Harry.He then joined a short game of volleyball before heading to the next location on his itinerary.Earlier in the afternoon, William attended a soccer game sponsored by The Equalizer and Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, with the participation of dozens of Jewish and Arab children at the Neve Golan Stadium in Jaffa.
During the event, William took part in a penalty shootout, scoring two out of three attempted goals.Chairman of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation and the son of Shimon Peres, Chemi Peres, presented William with his father's book No Room for Small Dreams. William told Peres how important it had been to his father Prince Charles to attend the late president's funeral."We thank you for your visit and we are proud to continue the legacy of peace and coexistence in Israel, through sports," Peres told William.
