Australia formally recognizes West Jerusalem as Israel's capital
Saturday, December 15, 2018, 09:51 GMT+7
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 ... 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.
