Australia drops recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia has reversed a previous government’s recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the foreign minister said last week, prompting consternation from Israel.

The center-left Labor Party government agreed that the Australian Embassy would remain in Tel Aviv, as it has been. The Cabinet also reaffirmed that Jerusalem’s status must be resolved in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.

Australia remained committed to a twoparty solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and “we will not support an approach that undermines this prospect,” Wong said.

Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid expressed disappointment in Australia’s changed position.

“Jerusalem is the eternal undivided capital of Israel and nothing will change that,” Lapid said in a statement.

Wong said her department made an error by updating its website on Australia’s revised policy on Israel’s capital before Cabinet had confirmed the change. This led to conflicting media reports on Australia’s position before Wong’s announcement.

Lapid appeared to blame this media confusion for Australia changing its policy.

“In light of the way the decision was made in Australia, as a hasty response to a mistaken report in the media, one can only hope in other issues the government of Australia behaves more seriously and professionally,” Lapid said.

Senior Palestinian official Hussein Al-Sheikh said he welcomed Australia’s decision “and its affirmation that the future of sovereignty over Jerusalem depends on the permanent solution based on international legitimacy.”

Former conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison formally recognized west Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 2018, although the Australian Embassy remained in Tel Aviv.

The change followed then-U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. President Joe Biden has kept the embassy in Jerusalem as the U.S. steps back from its onceintense mediation between the Israelis and Palestinians, who have not held substantive peace talks in more than a decade.