Australia no longer recognizes “West Jerusalem” as the capital of ‘Israel’, reversing a decision taken in 2018 by former prime minister Scott Morrison’s government.
“Today 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,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement during a media briefing on Tuesday, but the move was first reported by the Guardian on Monday.
“This reverses the Morrison Government’s recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”
In 2017, former US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved the U.S. Embassy to the occupied Jerusalem in May 2018, prompting criticism from the Palestinians, most Muslim-majority countries, and many states in Europe, as they were concerned that it would undermine prospects for a two-state solution to the so-called “Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
A year later, following Trump’s move, Morrison suggested he was “open-minded” to follow suit.
The government later decided not to move its embassy until a peace agreement between ‘Israel’ and Palestine, but that it would recognize ‘West Jerusalem’ as Israel’s capital.
“Recognising West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, while continuing to locate Australia’s embassy in Tel Aviv, is nothing more than a face-saving exercise,” Wong said at the time.
Wong reiterated that Australia’s embassy would remain in Tel Aviv and that Canberra was committed to a two-state solution “in which Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist, in peace and security, within internationally recognized borders”.
She added, “We will not support an approach that undermines this prospect.”
“I regret that Mr. Morrison’s decision to play politics resulted in Australia’s shifting position,” Wong said.
She added that the government of Anthony Albanese would recommit Australia to international efforts towards “a just and enduring two-state solution”.
Australia would “always be a steadfast friend of Israel”, the statement said, and that its representatives are “equally unwavering supporters of the Palestinian people”.
In the past few days, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade removed references to its recognition of “West Jerusalem” as Israel’s capital from its website.
The deleted sentences read, “Consistent with this longstanding policy, in December 2018, Australia recognized West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, being the seat of the Knesset and many of the institutions of the Israeli government. Australia looks forward to moving its embassy to West Jerusalem when practical, in support of, and after the final status determination of, a two-state solution.”
The update was made following the Guardian’s request for comment on the matter. The now-deleted references to West Jerusalem remained on the website until last week.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said, “The Australian government continues to consider the final status of Jerusalem as a matter to be resolved as part of any peace negotiations.”
The Australian Labor Party, which has been in government since June, said in 2018 that it “does not support unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and in government would reverse this decision”.
Canberra’s decision comes amid a potential relocation of the United Kingdom’s Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Last month, British Prime Minister Liz Truss announced her intention to move the British embassy in ‘Israel’ from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, sparking criticism from UK opposition parties, United Nations experts, and senior Muslim and Christian religious figures.
