Australia reverses Trump-era recognition of West Jerusalem as capital of Israel - CNN

CNN  — 

The Australian authorities has reversed a determination by its predecessor to admit West Jerusalem arsenic the superior of Israel, prompting a rebuke from the Israeli government.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong reaffirmed Canberra’s “previous and long-standing position” connected Israel successful a briefing connected Tuesday, emphasizing the caller Labor government’s unwavering enactment some for Israel and the Palestinian people.

“Australia is committed to a two-state solution successful which Israel and a aboriginal Palestinian authorities coexist, successful bid and security, wrong internationally recognized borders,” Wong said. “We volition not enactment an attack that undermines this prospect.”

The erstwhile government, led by erstwhile Coalition Prime Minister Scott Morrison, recognized West Jerusalem arsenic the Israeli superior successful 2018, pursuing an announcement made by erstwhile US President Donald Trump.

successful 2017, Trump upended 7 decades of US overseas policy by declaring the United States considered Jerusalem to beryllium the superior of Israel. The pursuing year, the US relocated its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Australia’s determination to revert to its erstwhile presumption connected Tuesday was a “hasty effect to an incorrect study successful the media.”

“In airy of the mode successful which this determination was made successful Australia, arsenic a hasty effect to an incorrect study successful the media, we tin lone anticipation that the Australian authorities manages different matters much earnestly and professionally,” Lapid said successful a statement, without elaborating connected the “incorrect report.”

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs besides summoned Australia’s ambassador to Israel.

Before Trump’s announcement, successive US leaders had resisted making immoderate proclamation connected the contented earlier the Israeli-Palestinian struggle was resolved. Trump’s determination drew condemnation from satellite leaders and sent daze waves done the Muslim world. Both Israelis and Palestinians assertion the beatified metropolis arsenic their capital.

Morrison’s determination to travel Trump’s lead besides prompted outrage, and connected Tuesday Wong apologized for immoderate distress caused.

“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,” Wong said.

The part of Jerusalem into East and West dates from the 1949 armistice statement that brought warring betwixt Israel and Arab powers to an end, and near the metropolis divided.

West Jerusalem was successful the hands of Israel and East Jerusalem controlled by Jordan. A 1947 United Nations program to disagreement Palestine successful two, creating a Jewish authorities and an Arab state, had envisaged Jerusalem arsenic an internationally tally “corpus separatum,” isolated from the 2 states.

In 1967 Israel captured East Jerusalem successful the Six Day War. It expanded the municipal boundaries of the metropolis and declared each of it to beryllium the unified superior of Israel.

Until Trump’s announcement, the planetary assemblage was mostly agreed successful not formally recognizing Israel’s position, stating alternatively that lone a negotiated statement betwixt the 2 sides could find the city’s last status.

The metropolis is location to profoundly beatified sites for Jews, Muslims and Christians. The contented has been truthful thorny that negotiations betwixt Israelis and Palestinians had near the question of Jerusalem to the last stages of immoderate bid deal.