Australia reverses decision to recognise West Jerusalem as Israeli capital

Australia has reversed a determination made 4 years agone to recognise West Jerusalem arsenic the superior of Israel.

Canberra's determination successful 2018 had undermined bid and enactment Australia retired of measurement with different nations, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.

She stressed that Australia remained a "steadfast friend" to Israel. Its embassy volition enactment successful Tel Aviv.

The presumption of Jerusalem is 1 of the astir contested issues betwixt Israel and the Palestinians.

Israel's overseas ministry has expressed its "deep disappointment" astatine Australia's determination and volition summon its ambassador, Israeli media reported.

Former US President Donald Trump drew planetary disapproval successful 2017 erstwhile helium reversed decades of American overseas argumentation by recognising the past metropolis arsenic Israel's capital. The US embassy was relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem successful May 2018.

Months later, Australia's past Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced his authorities would travel suit.

At the time, Mr Morrison said Australia would recognise West Jerusalem instantly but not determination its embassy from Tel Aviv until a bid colony was achieved.

Mr Morrison's authorities mislaid powerfulness successful an predetermination successful May this year.

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong called the erstwhile government's determination a "cynical play" to triumph implicit Jewish voters up of an predetermination successful Australia.

"I regret that Mr Morrison's determination to play authorities resulted successful Australia's shifting position, and the distress these shifts person caused to galore radical successful the Australian assemblage who attraction profoundly astir this issue," she said.

She reaffirmed the country's "previous and longstanding" presumption that the presumption of Jerusalem should beryllium resolved arsenic portion of bid negotiations betwixt Israel and the Palestinian people.

"We volition not enactment an attack that undermines this prospect," she said.

Israel regards Jerusalem arsenic its "eternal and undivided" capital, portion the Palestinians assertion East Jerusalem - occupied by Israel successful the 1967 Middle East warfare - arsenic the superior of a aboriginal state.

The presumption of Jerusalem goes to the bosom of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israeli sovereignty implicit Jerusalem has ne'er been recognised internationally, and according to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian bid accords, the last presumption of Jerusalem is meant to beryllium discussed successful the second stages of bid talks.