Australia’s Decision To Stop Recognizing West Jerusalem as Israeli Capital Won’t Impact Relations, Expert Says

Israeli officials condemned the decision and Palestinians praised the move

Israel blasted Australia for reversing its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, with Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Tuesday sharply condemning the decision.

“Jerusalem is the eternal and united capital of Israel, and nothing will ever change that,” the prime minister said in a statement released by his office.

Australia said it would no longer recognize west Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, reversing a decision taken by the previous conservative government of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2018.

“Today the government has reaffirmed Australia’s previous and long-standing position that Jerusalem is a final status issue that should be resolved as part of any peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian people,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement.

“This reverses the Morrison government’s recognition of west Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” the statement said.

Morrison’s Liberal Party-led coalition government lost a national election in May, returning a Labor government for the first time in nine years.

Wong reiterated that Australia’s embassy would remain in Tel Aviv and that Canberra was committed to a two-state solution “in which Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist, in peace and security, within internationally recognized borders.”

She added: “We will not support an approach that undermines this prospect.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry summoned Australia’s ambassador for a reprimand after Canberra made the announcement.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh hailed the decision, calling it “wise” and “courageous.”

“We welcome the Australian government’s decision to reverse its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, to affirm its commitment to the two-state solution, and to reject any attempts to undermine this solution,” he said.

Israel maintains excellent relations with Australia. The interests of the two countries dictates their relations.

Oded Eran, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, told The Media Line that, despite official Israeli outrage following the announcement, it will have “almost zero impact” on bilateral relations.

“Israel maintains excellent relations with Australia. The interests of the two countries dictates their relations,” Eran said, adding that this hiccup between the two countries “will have a short-lived impact on ties.”

Eran, who had a long career in Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in other government positions, described Canberra’s move as “strange,” saying that “capitals are important and every country wants to preserve the simple fact that its government and institutions are located in it, but beyond that it’s a decision of every country to decide what its capital is and where it is located.”

Ghassan Khatib, professor of contemporary Arab studies and international studies at Birzeit University, located in the West Bank, told The Media Line that Palestinians are “happy” with the decision.

“First of all, I think this is a very positive development and, second, instigated by internal political changes in Australia, the previous conservative government was allied with the former conservative American government and (former US President Donald) Trump, and was influenced by the Trump administration’s approach to this issue,” he explained.

Khatib says the decision to recognize Jerusalem by the previous Australian government was a “sin” and a “mistake.”

“That position was illegal because it contradicts specific United Nations resolutions,” he said.

He says there is a reason why the Israeli government is “disappointed” and “nervous” following the news of the Australian government’s decision.

“There was an international campaign by Israel and the former US administration to influence the position of many governments around the world in that direction in order to create legitimacy for the illegal Israeli policy in occupied east Jerusalem,” Khatib said.

He says that the campaign and efforts have been dealt a “blow” by Australia’s decision, and it will have an impact on other countries.

“It’s an indicator that the American campaign reached its limits; Australia is a close ally to the US, and we noticed that there haven’t been any excitements by any major western country to move in that direction, including the debate in Britain on the subject,” according to Khatib.

British Prime Minister Liz Truss has said she is considering relocating the British embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in a controversial move that would break with decades of UK foreign policy.

Jerusalem is claimed as the capital city by both Israel and the Palestinians, but the vast majority of the international community has avoided locating embassies there until a final resolution is reached.

Reversing recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is beyond the pale in the eyes of Israelis

Dr. Ran Porat, who teaches Middle Eastern history and Israel studies at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, told The Media Line that the decision already has had a negative impact on Israeli-Australian relations, pointing to the summoning of the Australian ambassador by Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday “for a harsh talk.”

Porat described the Australian government’s decision as “ridiculous, as even Arab leaders have visited Jerusalem,” adding that the Israeli government’s offices and parliament are located in the city, and that “reversing recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is beyond the pale in the eyes of Israelis.”

He says the decision shook Australia’s standing in international forums.

“The current government has lost credibility as an international honest mediator that can assist in bringing peace,” he said.