On the sidelines of the British Prince's visit to the President's Residence, a small anecdote was recorded when Rivka Ravitz, the haredi Bureau Chief of President Reuven Rivlin, politely refused to shake the Prince's hand for halakhic reasons, although he reached out for it.

Haredim are observant Jews who strive to fulfill Jewish Law, called halakha, according to the stricter rulings within the spectrum of Torah law. In this instance, not only a haredi person would necessarily decline physical contact with the opposite gender, many observant Jews follow this halakha.

Instead of a handshake, Ravitz bowed slightly before him.

A similar event took place a few years ago during President Rivlin's visit to the Pope's residence in Rome. Ravitz politely refused to shake hands with the Pope, who responded with surprise.