Key Jewish Groups in Australia ‘Deeply Disappointed’ by Policy Reversal on Jerusalem
HaaretzOct 18, 2022
On Tuesday, Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that the new Labor government has reversed former PM Scott Morrison’s 2018 decision to formally recognize West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying Jerusalem's status should be resolved through peace negotiations, not unilateral decisions.
Wong announced the Labor Government was committed to a two-state solution in which Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist "in peace and stability," adding that Australia's embassy would remain in Tel Aviv, where it "has always been."
Besides being a poor policy move that panders to the most drastic parts of Australia's labor party, the way the news was delivered is insulting: Approved on a Jewish holiday, the Australian government thought the quiet removal of Jerusalem's status from its website would go unnoticed — a chaotic and unprofessional lack of courtesy.
Australia is firmly committed to a two-state solution, and recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel directly undermines this. Australia's former PM Morrison's 2018 decision was nothing more than a manipulative attempt to win favor, and the new Labor leadership has rightly reversed this.
There's a 50% chance that Israel will recognize Palestine by November 2065, according to the Metaculus Prediction Community.