Australia withdraws recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital after a few years. Secretary of State Penny Wong justified this in Canberra on Tuesday by saying Jerusalem’s status should be decided in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. The Australian Embassy has always been and will remain in Tel Aviv. Australia wants a two-state solution in which Israel and a Palestinian state can get along “in peace and security”.
Israeli Prime Minister Jair Lapid expressed his disappointment. He spoke of a “hasty decision”. “We can only hope that the Australian government will take other matters more seriously and professionally. Jerusalem is the eternal and united capital of Israel and nothing will ever change that.” The Foreign Office announced it would summon the Australian ambassador.
The new Australian government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese changes the course of predecessor Scott Morrison with the decision. In December 2018, he recognized West Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, but left the embassy in Tel Aviv. In addition, he had promised to recognize a future Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital once a lasting two-state solution was reached. Palestinians had criticized the decision at the time. Israel spoke of “a step in the right direction”.
Earlier in 2017, under then-President Donald Trump, the United States recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The transfer was an insult to the Palestinians. Israel conquered East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War. (aeg/sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
