Australia denies reversal of recognition of West Jerusalem as Israeli capital

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong has denied that the country has reversed a decision, made under former Prime Minister Scott Morrison to recognize West Jerusalem as Israel`s capital

Tel Aviv [Israel]: Australia on Monday denied that it has reversed a decision, made under former Prime Minister Scott Morrison to recognize West Jerusalem as Israel`s capital and said there has been no change in policy. The denial came from Foreign Minister Penny Wong hours after the UK`s publication The Guardian reported that Australia`s Department of Foreign Affairs dropping its stance recognising West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reported The Times of Israel. Wong denied the reversal of the decision made by the previous government. A spokesperson for Wong told Australia`s ABC News that the government "continues to consider the final status of Jerusalem as a matter to be resolved as part of any peace negotiations.

"But 'the former government decided to recognize West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel' and no decision to change that has been made by the government," Wong said via the spokesperson. The Labor Party had vowed to reverse Canberra`s move in 2018 under then-prime minister Scott Morrison of the Liberal Party of Australia to recognize the western part of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital if elected. 

Morrison had sought to win the Liberal Party another term in office in the May 2022 national elections but was defeated by the opposing Labor Party, led by Anthony Albanese, the country`s prime minister since late May, reported The Times of Israel. Wong, as an opposition senator in 2018, had said that the centre-left Labor Party "does not support unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and in government would reverse this decision." 

"Australia remains a longstanding friend and strong supporter of Israel," Wong said in the statement on Monday. A spokesperson for Morrison said a decision to reverse the recognition would be "disappointing," ABC News reported. Labor lawmaker Jason Clare, the country`s education minister, said no decision on a potential reversal had been made because the cabinet had not yet considered the issue, ABC News reported. 

Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital. Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognized by the international community. For decades the international community maintained that the city`s status should be negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians.