SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia formally recognizes West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, reversing decades of Middle East policy, but will not move its embassy there immediately, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday.

“Australia now recognizes West Jerusalem, being the seat of the Knesset and many of the institutions of government, is the capital of Israel,” Morrison said.

“We look forward to moving our embassy to West Jerusalem when practical,” he told reporters in Sydney.

Morrison said in October he was open to shifting Australia’s embassy from Tel Aviv. President Donald Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in May delighted Israel, infuriated Palestinians and upset the wider Arab world and Western allies.

Morrison’s unexpected announcement in October was viewed cynically because it came days before a crucial by-election in an electorate with a strong Jewish representation, a poll his party subsequently lost.

It also drew criticism from Muslim-majority neighbors such as Indonesia and Malaysia, neither of whom formally recognize Israel’s right to exist. Arab countries worried that the move would unnecessarily inflame tensions in the Middle East.

Israel regards all of Jerusalem as its capital, including the eastern sector that it annexed after the 1967 Middle East war, and wants all embassies based there. The international community believes Jerusalem’s status should be resolved through negotiation.

The status of Jerusalem, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths, is one of the biggest obstacles to a peace agreement between Israel and Palestinians who want East Jerusalem recognized as the capital of a Palestinian state.

Morrison said Australia would not move its embassy to West Jerusalem until the city’s final status was determined, but said trade and defense offices would be opened there.

He confirmed Australia’s support for a two-state solution with a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem.

Izzat Salah Abdulhadi, head of the Palestinian Delegation to Australia, said endorsing two capitals signaled a genuine commitment to a two-state solution but said Israel would still regard Jerusalem as its “eternal and undivided capital”.

“Recognition of any part of it before serious compromises and genuine concessions have been made will be seen, at least to some extent, as rewarding this intransigence,” he said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

Indonesia’s foreign ministry spokesman, Arrmanatha Nasir, noted that Australia had not moved its embassy to Jerusalem and called on all members of the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state “based on the principle of two-state solutions”. </s> SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia formally recognizes West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, reversing decades of Middle East policy, but will not move its embassy there immediately, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday.

“Australia now recognizes West Jerusalem, being the seat of the Knesset and many of the institutions of government, is the capital of Israel,” Morrison said.

“We look forward to moving our embassy to West Jerusalem when practical,” he told reporters in Sydney.

Morrison said in October he was open to shifting Australia’s embassy from Tel Aviv. President Donald Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in May delighted Israel, infuriated Palestinians and upset the wider Arab world and Western allies.

Morrison’s unexpected announcement in October was viewed cynically because it came days before a crucial by-election in an electorate with a strong Jewish representation, a poll his party subsequently lost.

It also drew criticism from Muslim-majority neighbors such as Indonesia and Malaysia, neither of whom formally recognize Israel’s right to exist. Arab countries worried that the move would unnecessarily inflame tensions in the Middle East.

Israel regards all of Jerusalem as its capital, including the eastern sector that it annexed after the 1967 Middle East war, and wants all embassies based there. The international community believes Jerusalem’s status should be resolved through negotiation.

The status of Jerusalem, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths, is one of the biggest obstacles to a peace agreement between Israel and Palestinians who want East Jerusalem recognized as the capital of a Palestinian state.

Morrison said Australia would not move its embassy to West Jerusalem until the city’s final status was determined, but said trade and defense offices would be opened there.

He confirmed Australia’s support for a two-state solution with a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem.

“What we are saying is we’ve got to move this forward. The rancid stalemate has to be broken,” he said. </s> SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia formally recognizes West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, reversing decades of Middle East policy, but will not move its embassy there immediately, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday.

“Australia now recognizes West Jerusalem, being the seat of the Knesset and many of the institutions of government, is the capital of Israel,” Morrison said.

“We look forward to moving our embassy to West Jerusalem when practical ... and after final status determination,” he told reporters in Sydney.

Morrison said in October he was open to shifting the embassy. President Donald Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May delighted Israel, infuriated Palestinians and upset the wider Arab world and Western allies. </s> Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that his government will recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

However, he said Australia's embassy would not move from Tel Aviv, until a peace settlement was achieved.

He added Australia also recognised the aspirations of the Palestinians to a state with a capital in East Jerusalem.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the most contested issues between Israel and the Palestinians.

US President Donald Trump drew international criticism last year when he reversed decades of American foreign policy by recognising the ancient city as Israel's capital. The US embassy was relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May.
• Why Trump and Jerusalem was not about peace

Mr Morrison's announcement comes after a period of consultation with politicians in Australia and allies abroad.

"Australia now recognises West Jerusalem, being the seat of the Knesset and many of the institutions of government, is the capital of Israel," said Mr Morrison, speaking in Sydney on Saturday.

"We look forward to moving our embassy to West Jerusalem when practical ... and after final status determination."

When the policy review was announced in October, it drew support from Israel, but criticism from the Palestinian side.

Mr Morrison's predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, had ruled out following the US in moving Australia's embassy to Jerusalem.

Two other countries - Guatemala and Paraguay - have announced they would also make the switch, but Paraguay later reversed the decision after a change of government.

Why is the status of Jerusalem so contentious?

The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel regards Jerusalem as its "eternal and undivided" capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem - occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war - as the capital of a future state.

Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and according to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, the final status of Jerusalem is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.

Since 1967, Israel has built a dozen settlements, home to about 200,000 Jews, in East Jerusalem. These are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

In December 2017, UN member states voted decisively at the General Assembly in favour of a resolution effectively declaring US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital to be "null and void" and demanding it be cancelled. </s> Dear Reader, As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analyses from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.

SYDNEY- Australia formally recognizes west Jerusalem as Israel's capital, reversing decades of Middle East policy, but will not move its embassy there immediately, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday.



"Australia now recognizes West Jerusalem, being the seat of the Knesset and many of the institutions of government, is the capital of Israel," Morrison said.





"We look forward to moving our embassy to West Jerusalem when practical," he told reporters in Sydney.Morrison said in October he was open to shifting Australia's embassy from Tel Aviv. President Donald Trump's decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in May delighted Israel, infuriated Palestinians and upset the wider Arab world and Western allies.Morrison's unexpected announcement in October was viewed cynically because it came days before a crucial by-election in an electorate with a strong Jewish representation, a poll his party subsequently lost.It also drew criticism from Muslim-majority neighbors such as Indonesia and Malaysia, neither of whom formally recognize Israel's right to exist. Arab countries worried that the move would unnecessarily inflame tensions in the Middle East.Israel regards all of Jerusalem as its capital, including the eastern sector that it annexed after the 1967 Middle East war, and wants all embassies based there. The international community believes Jerusalem's status should be resolved through negotiation.The status of Jerusalem, home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths, is one of the biggest obstacles to a peace agreement between Israel and Palestinians who want east Jerusalem recognized as the capital of a Palestinian state.Morrison said Australia would not move its embassy to West Jerusalem until the city's final status was determined, but said trade and defense offices would be opened there.He confirmed Australia's support for a two-state solution with a Palestinian capital in east Jerusalem."What we are saying is we've got to move this forward. The rancid stalemate has to be broken," he said.

Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>> </s> Scott Morrison is criticised by the Opposition for his 'all risk and no gain' decision

Australia has decided to formally recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, but will not move its embassy from Tel Aviv until a peace settlement is achieved.

Prime minister Scott Morrison said his nation would also recognise a future state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, but only after a deal has been reached on a two-state solution.

Both Israel and the Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital.

"Australia now recognises West Jerusalem, being the seat of the Knesset and many of the institutions of government, is the capital of Israel," Mr Morrison said in a speech in Sydney.

"We look forward to moving our embassy to West Jerusalem when practical."

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The opposition Labor party criticised Mr Morrison for putting "self-interest ahead of the national interest".

"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," shadow minister for foreign affairs Penny Wong said in a statement.

"This is a decision which is all risk and no gain," she said, adding it puts Australia "out of step" with the international community.

In an unexpected announcement in October, Mr Morrison said he was open to moving Australia's embassy from Tel Aviv.

The shift in policy was viewed cynically because it came days before a crucial by-election in an electorate with a strong Jewish representation, a poll Mr Morrison's party subsequently lost.

Australia became one of just a few governments around the world to follow US President Donald Trump's lead and recognise the contested city as Israel's capital.

After Mr Trump moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May, tens of thousands of Palestinians protested near the heavily-protected Israeli border. At least 62 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire.

The move also drew criticism from Muslim-majority neighbours such as Indonesia and Malaysia, threatening a free trade deal which has now been delayed.

Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move that is not internationally recognised.

Israel considers East Jerusalem an indivisible part of its capital, while the Palestinians seek the area, home to the city's most sensitive holy sites, as the capital of a future state. </s> SYDNEY/JERUSALEM, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Australia will consider recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital and shifting its embassy there from Tel Aviv, Australia's Prime Minister said on Tuesday.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel regards all of the city, including the eastern sector that it annexed after the 1967 Middle East war, as its capital.

Last December, U.S. President Donald Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy by recognising Jerusalem, enraging the Palestinians and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies.

Australia was firm in its refusal to follow suit at the time, however Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in parliament he was now "open-minded" about doing so, while not changing Australia's policy of support for a Palestinian state.

"The orthodoxy that's driven this debate which says issues like considering the question of the capital are taboo. I think we have to challenge that," Morrison said.

"The whole point of a two-state solution is two nations recognised living side by side," he added, saying he was open to the suggestion from Dave Sharma, Australia's former ambassador to Israel, that Australia support West Jerusalem as Israel's capital and East Jerusalem as Palestine's.

"No decision has been made in regarding the recognition of a capital or the movement of an embassy ... but at the same time, what we are simply doing is being open to that suggestion."

The U.S. Embassy became the only foreign embassy in Jerusalem in May, and Guatemala and Paraguay followed Washington's lead days later and also moved their embassies, although Paraguay returned its mission to Tel Aviv last month. Israel closed its embassy in Asuncion in response.

The Palestinians, with broad international backing, want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state that they hope to establish in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Peace talks between the parties broke down in 2014.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attempted to persuade other countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem.

Sharma, who was ambassador to Israel between 2013 and 2017, is on Saturday standing as a candidate for Morrison's ruling Liberal Party in a crucial by-election in Sydney.

Morrison also said Australia would review its support for the Iran nuclear deal, under which sanctions were lifted in return for restraints on its nuclear program "to determine whether our current policy settings remain fit for purpose".

Trump decided in May to abandon the pact and to restore economic sanctions on Iran, including those that seek to force the OPEC member's major oil customers to stop buying Iranian crude. (Reporting by Tom Westbrook and Wayne Cole in SYDNEY and Ori Lewis in JERUSALEM; Editing by Kevin Liffey and James Dalgleish) </s> Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The US moved its embassy to Jerusalem in May

Australia will consider recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moving its embassy there from Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says.

If acted upon, the move would follow a recent policy shift by the US that has drawn criticism internationally.

Mr Morrison said Australia remained committed to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Political opponents said Mr Morrison's comments were a "deceitful" ploy for votes ahead of a crucial by-election.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the most contested issues between Israel and the Palestinians.

US President Donald Trump drew international criticism last year when he reversed decades of American foreign policy by recognising the ancient city as Israel's capital. The US embassy was relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May.

Mr Morrison said he would consult with his cabinet and other nations before making any decisions.

"We are committed to a two-state solution, but frankly, it hasn't been going that well - not a lot of progress has been made," he told reporters on Tuesday.

He said it may be possible for his nation to support a two-state solution and recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital - something that Australia had "to date assumed" was unfeasible.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Why the ancient city of Jerusalem is so important

The prime minister said one future scenario could involve Australia recognising a Palestinian Authority capital in East Jerusalem and Israeli capital in West Jerusalem.

"Australia should be open-minded to this," Mr Morrison said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted his approval on Monday.

But Palestinian representatives said the proposal could damage Australia's international standing.

"They are risking Australia's trade and business relationship with the rest of the world, in particular [the] Arab and Muslim world," said Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki.

He was speaking in Jakarta after talks with officials in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country. Australia and Indonesia are due to sign a trade deal this year.

Mr Morrison's predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, had ruled out following the US in moving Australia's embassy to Jerusalem.

Two other countries - Guatemala and Paraguay - announced they would also make the switch, but Paraguay later reversed the decision after a change of government.

By-election issue

On Tuesday, Mr Morrison said his thinking had been guided by Australia's former ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma.

Mr Sharma is the government's candidate in a by-election, to be held on Saturday, for the seat vacated by Mr Turnbull after he was ousted as prime minister.

If Mr Morrison fails to retain the Sydney electorate, Wentworth, he will be forced into minority government. He denied that his comments on Tuesday were aimed at Wentworth's large Jewish community.

But the Labor opposition's Senate leader, Penny Wong, said Mr Morrison was playing "dangerous and deceitful word games with Australian foreign policy".

"[Scott Morrison] is prepared to say anything if he thinks it will win him a few more votes - even at the cost of Australia's national interest," she said.

Why is the status of Jerusalem so contentious?

The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel regards Jerusalem as its "eternal and undivided" capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem - occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war - as the capital of a future state.

Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and according to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, the final status of Jerusalem is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.

Since 1967, Israel has built a dozen settlements, home to about 200,000 Jews, in East Jerusalem. These are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

In December 2017, UN member states voted decisively at the General Assembly in favour of a resolution effectively declaring US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital to be "null and void" and demanding it be cancelled. </s> Australia’s prime minister has said he is open to recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city – reversing decades of foreign policy.

At a press conference yesterday, Scott Morrison said he was "open-minded" over proposals to move the Australian embassy to the holy city.

He said Australia remains committed to the two-state solution but “frankly it hasn't been going that well” adding that “you don't keep doing the same thing and expect different results.”

He said plans to move the embassy and recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s were “sensible and persuasive.”

Israel considers the whole of the city as its "eternal, undivided capital" - but East Jerusalem is considered illegally occupied under international law.

Israel annexed the Old City in 1967 - but that move was not recognised internationally.

Palestinians view the Eastern part of the city as the capital of their future state.

Mr Morrison became Australia’s sixth prime minister in 11 years after his predecessor Malcolm Turnbull was ousted by members of his own party.

Mr Morrison announced his Israeli plans ahead a crucial Sydney by-election to fill Mr Turnbull’s vacant seat in Sydney.

The Wentworth constituency has a significant Jewish population at 12.5% and Mr Morrison’s Liberal Party candidate Dave Sharma is trailing in the polls.

Mr Sharma is a former Australian ambassador to Israel who has floated the idea or recognising Jerusalem as the country’s capital in the past.

Should the Liberal Party lose the election, Mr Morrison’s centre-right coalition will lose its one-seat majority – forcing him to negotiate with independents to continue governing as a minority.

The opposition Labor Party’s foreign policy spokesperson Penny Wong said the prime minister was “now so desperate to hang on to his job, he is prepared to say anything if he thinks it will win him a few more votes - even at the cost of Australia's national interest.”

The move has also been criticised by Australia’s Asian neighbours – with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi urging Mr Morrison not to take “steps that would threaten that peace process and stability of world security.”

The Israeli Prime Minister said Mr Morrison had informed him of his plans, adding “I am very thankful to him for this. We will continue to strengthen ties between Israel and Australia.

It comes after the US President Donald Trump moved the US embassy to the disputed city – sparking outrage across the Arab world and months of protest in Palestine.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said by the end of July, 155 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces during the protests – including 23 minors.
Australia formally recognizes West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state but will not move its embassy from Tel Aviv until a peace settlement is reached with the Palestinians.