Labor reverses recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital
Announcement follows assurances by foreign minister's office that "no decision has been made" to change former government's stance
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid slammed Australia’s announcement on Tuesday that it would no longer recognise West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, as the Foreign Ministry summoned Canberra’s envoy to clarify the matter.
“In light of the way in which the decision was made in Australia … we can only hope that the Australian government manages other matters more seriously and professionally,” Lapid said in a statement.
“Jerusalem is the eternal capital of united Israel and nothing will ever change that,” he said.
The Foreign Ministry, which Lapid also heads, said Israel “expresses its deep disappointment” over the decision, calling it the result of “shortsighted political considerations.”
Foreign minister Penny Wong announced the decision to reverse the policy of the Morrison government late on Tuesday morning while members of the Jewish community were celebrating Simchat Torah.
“The Government has reaffirmed Australia’s previous and longstanding position that Jerusalem is a final status issue that should be resolved as part of any peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian people. This reverses the Morrison Government’s recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” she said.
“Australia is committed to a two-state solution in which Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist, in peace and security, within internationally recognised borders. We will not support an approach that undermines this prospect.”
It follows assurances by her office right up until earlier that morning that “the former government made the decision to recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. No decision to change that has been made by the current government,” after The Guardian reported on Monday night that text referring to the Morrison stance had been removed from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s website.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) said it was “extremely disappointed by the Government’s decision to withdraw Australia’s recognition of west Jerusalem as the capital of Israel without public consultation or opportunity for public debate, and in a conspicuously opaque manner”.
“Aside from being poor policy, the withdrawal of Australia’s recognition that Israel’s capital is in Jerusalem is a gratuitous insult to a key economic and strategic ally,” the ECAJ said.
The Palestinian Authority has applauded the decision. “We welcome Australia’s decision with regards to Jerusalem & its call for a two-state solution in accordance with international legitimacy,” the Palestinian Authority’s civil affairs minister, Hussein al-Sheikh, said on Twitter.
The Walla news site reported that Israel was taken by surprise by the decision, which came just months after the head of the Middle East Division of the Australian Foreign Ministry visited Israel and made clear to his counterparts that there was no change expected in Australia’s policy on West Jerusalem.
More in this week’s AJN.
WITH TIMES OF ISRAEL, AGENCIES
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