John Adoyi, PBA Journalism MenteeThe government of Australia has reversed the past administration’s decision to recognize Western Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel, Foreign Minister Penny Wong told journalists on Tuesday.
According to the Foreign Minister, Jerusalem should be an issue that should be resolved at a peace negotiation between Israel and the people of Palestine.
“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 Wong said.
According to her, “This reverses the Morrison Government’s recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”
The government of formal Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in September 2018 that Australia has joined a list of other countries like the United States to recognize Western Jerusalem as the capital of Israel but said Australia’s Embassy would remain in Tel Aviv the formal capital until a peace settlement is reached between the two warring nations.
The move by the PM was criticized by the opposition Labour Party.
Labour Party leader Bill Shorten, said the government’s decision was a “humiliating back down.”
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Penny Wong, who was the Labour Party’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson called it a “reckless move” and said the decision would be reversed when Labour Party gains power.
“Labour does not support unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and in government would reverse this decision,” she said in 2018.
Making the announcement, Penny Wong said that the decision was regrettable and was a selfish political interest of former Prime Minister Morrison.
“I regret that Mr. Morrison’s decision to play politics resulted in Australia’s shifting position, and the distress these shifts have caused to many people in the Australian community who care deeply about this issue,” she said.
Penny Wong also said Australia will continue to be a friend of Israel and would never stop supporting the people of Palestine but Australia is committed to peaceful coexistence between both nations, resulting from a two-state solution that has borders accepted by the international community.
“Australia is committed to a two-state solution in which Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist, in peace and security, within internationally recognized borders,” Wong said.
“We will not support an approach that undermines this prospect,” he added.
In a move that was not welcomed by a lot of US allies, President Donald Trump in 2017, declared that the United States recognized Western Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and asked that the US Embassy be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
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