Albo: ‘substance, not gestures’
'My government will not waver in our support of Israel or of the Jewish community in Australia. We're also unwavering supporters of the rights of the Palestinian people'
PRIME Minister Anthony Albanese defended Australia’s decision to withdraw recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel’s capital after being challenged by opposition leader Peter Dutton in Parliament on Tuesday.
Albanese said Australia will remain a “steadfast friend of Israel”, but described the Morrison government’s move to recognise west Jerusalem in 2018 as a “decision of gesture”.
“What we need in the Middle East to secure peace is substance, not gestures,” Albanese said.
“My government will not waver in our support of Israel or of the Jewish community in Australia. We’re also unwavering supporters of the rights of the Palestinian people.
“What we need is a solution to the Middle East, not playing domestic politics during a by-election in order to secure a so-called advantage.”
Former prime minister Scott Morrison floated the idea of recognising Jerusalem during the Wentworth by-election in October 2018 before announcing the government’s recognition of west Jerusalem as the capital two months later.
Liberal MP Julian Leeser described Labor’s decision as a “shambolic piece of foreign policy-making” that caused deep offence to a significant ally in Israel, as well as to the Jewish community.
Noting that it was welcomed by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, he added, “You know you’re making bad public policy when the endorsement comes from listed criminal terrorist organisations.”
Labor MP Josh Burns conceded that the announcement coming on Simchat Torah “was a mistake, I believe, that we needed to own, and we did own, and I apologise again to the people in my electorate”.
Giving a perspective of constituents in Macnamara, he said, “To understand Jerusalem as the capital is as simple as us understanding Canberra as the capital of our country, and it would be like someone telling us that Surfers Paradise was the capital instead of Canberra.”
With a large number of Jewish voters also in Kingsford Smith, The AJN reached out to Labor MP Matt Thistlethwaite’s office for a comment, but did not hear back by press time.
Meanwhile, World Zionist Organisation chairman Yaakov Hagoel wrote to Albanese last week expressing hope “that the Australian government will retract this unfortunate statement”.
“Australia and Israel have stood side by side and still maintain full and warm diplomatic relations, as well as extensive economic and cultural ties. I was surprised and disappointed to learn this morning about the statement … revoking Australia’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel.
“Is it conceivable that the State of Israel would not recognise Canberra as the capital of Australia?”
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