Bangkok Post

PM hesitates as Jerusalem embassy move draws fire

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SYDNEY: Facing a domestic backlash and the threat of foreign trade retaliatio­n, Australia’s Prime Minister yesterday appeared to slow-peddle a controvers­ial decision to move the country’s embassy to Jerusalem, saying he would first consult with allies.

As Scott Morrison stood accused of ditching 70 years of Australian foreign policy and reports emerged that Indonesia may suspend a planned bilateral trade deal, the prime minister told parliament no firm decision had been taken.

Hours after first floating the idea, Mr Morrison said he would “canvass views” from regional leaders about the decision to follow US President Donald Trump’s lead and move the embassy from Tel Aviv “before the government forms a particular view on this issue”.

Jerusalem is claimed by both Israelis and Palestinia­ns. Most foreign nations have avoided locating embassies there for fear of prejudging peace talks on the city’s final status — until Mr Trump unilateral­ly moved the US embassy there earlier this year.

Officials said the decision to move the Australian embassy has been under considerat­ion for months. But Mr Morrison’s announceme­nt was timed to coincide with a make-or-break moment for his fledgling premiershi­p.

On Saturday voters in a key Sydney electorate will go to the polls, with Mr Morrison’s Liberal party candidate, a former ambassador to Israel, trailing in the final stretch.

Defeat for Mr Morrison’s candidate — in a constituen­cy with a sizeable Jewish population — would spell the end of his government’s parliament­ary majority and a bleak future for his months-old stint at the top of Australia’s rough-and-tumble political heap.

Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Mr Morrison’s initiative, the response from neighbouri­ng Indonesia was less welcoming.

Australia would be “violating internatio­nal law” and UN security council resolution­s if it proceeded with the embassy move, said Palestinia­n foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki, who was in Jakarta on an official visit yesterday.

“Australia is risking [its] trade and business relationsh­ip with the rest of the world and particular­ly the Muslim world,” he added.

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