Australia recognises Jerusalem
THE Morrison government will formally recognise West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, while promising to eventually recognise a Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison was to announce the foreign policy shift in a speech to the Sydney Institute late yesterday, following months of speculation.
The government will recognise East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital only after a settlement has been reached on a two-state solution.
Also, it is understood, the Australian embassy won’t be moved from Tel Aviv to West Jerusalem until such a time.
While the embassy move is delayed, the government will in the meantime establish a defence and trade office in Jerusalem.
It will also start looking for an appropriate site for the embassy.
“The Australian government has decided that Australia now recognises West Jerusalem, as the seat of the Knesset (Israel’s legislative body) and many of the institutions of government, is the capital of Israel,” Mr Morrison was to say in his speech.
The consideration sparked backlash from Indonesia and Malaysia, threatening a free trade deal which has now been delayed, although the Morrison government insists the delay was due to other reasons.
Following the pre-Wentworth election comments, Malaysia warned moving the embassy could fuel terrorism.