Israel on Tuesday criticized Australia’s decision to no longer recognize West Jerusalem as its capital and urgently summoned the Australian ambassador for an explanation.
In a statement, Prime Minister Yair Lapid called the Australian decision a “hasty response to misinformation in the press,” without specifying what “misinformation” he was referring to.
“We can only wish the Australian government to handle its other affairs in a more serious and professional manner… Jerusalem is the eternal and united capital of Israel and nothing can change that,” he said, adding, echoed here. by his spokesperson.
Decision hailed by the Palestinian Authority
The Palestinian Authority, for its part, welcomed Australia’s decision and its support for a resolution of the conflict over the status of the Holy City.
“We welcome Australia’s decision on Jerusalem and its call for a two-state solution…and its assurance that Jerusalem’s future sovereignty depends on a permanent solution based on international legitimacy,” the minister wrote on Twitter. of Palestinian Civil Affairs, Hussein al-Sheikh. .
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that the issue of the status of Jerusalem must be resolved through peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian people and not through unilateral decisions.
“We will not support an approach that undermines that perspective,” he said, adding that “the Australian Embassy has always been and remains in Tel Aviv.”
The new government changes its doctrine
This change in doctrine follows the arrival of the center-left Labor Party in May in Australia. The previous administration of Scott Morrison came under heavy criticism when, in 2018, he announced that he recognized West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He made the announcement on the heels of a similar decision by US President Donald Trump.
The Jewish state seized East Jerusalem in 1967, annexed it, and has since regarded the entire city as its “eternal” and “indivisible” capital, while the Palestinians want to make East Jerusalem the capital of the state they they aspire
The issue of Jerusalem and its status remains one of the most thorny issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Only four states have established their embassies in Jerusalem: the United States, Guatemala, Honduras and Kosovo.
Source: BFM TV
