Labor warned against trying to undo move in West Jerusalem

Australia’s Jewish community has warned Labor not to meddle in the decision to recognise West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The Israeli flag flies over Tel Aviv.

Australia’s Jewish community has warned Labor against any reversal of the Morrison government’s ­decision to recognise West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, declaring such a move “would be considered a hostile act”.

The Zionist Federation of Australia has written to Bill Shorten and opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong to ­express concern about the party’s position after they confirmed Labor would recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital only in the final stages of a two-state solution.

Scott Morrison seized on the admission, accusing the Opposition Leader of being “less of a friend to Israel” as he faced growing criticism at home and abroad over his controversial policy shift.

In the ZFA letter, obtained by The Australian, president Jeremy Leibler seeks clarification of Labor’s position after Australia ­became one of the few countries to formally recognise West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital while pledging to recognise a future Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem.

“A move by a future Labor government to reverse such an ­important position would be considered a hostile act to Australia’s strongest ally in the Middle East,” Mr Leibler writes. “Should Labor form government, we … urge the ALP not to reverse the decision to recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”

Senator Wong has tweeted that Labor did not “support unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and in government would reverse this decision”.

Opposition Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen said Labor would continue to recognise Tel Aviv as Israel’s capital and the government’s policy had “trashed 70 years of bipartisan foreign policy” for Mr Morrison’s “domestic political purposes”.

The Prime Minister said Australia’s official position was that West Jerusalem was the Israeli capital after a formal resolution of cabinet last week. “If Bill Shorten does not want to support the position the Australian government has taken, which now represents Australia’s official position, then he will have to outline to the Australian community why he would want to now reverse that position,” Mr Morrison said. “We are one of their (Israel’s) longest-standing friends … and I don’t understand why Bill Shorten would want to be less of a friend to Israel than the current government’s position indicates.”

Mr Morrison also said Australia’s embassy would not be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem until the final status of the city was ­determined under a peace settlement, in a move blasted by Labor as a “humiliating backdown”.

A defence and trade office will be established in Jerusalem as part of the compromise position.

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry “strongly opposed” Australia’s recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, lashing the policy change as “premature and a humiliation to the Palestinians and their struggle for the right to self-determination”.

Australian Strategic Policy ­Institute executive director Peter Jennings said the policy was “very sound” and pragmatic, despite being the result of an announcement in the lead-up to the Wentworth by-election.

He said Labor risked making a mistake if it reversed “what is actually a principled decision and a realistic one”.

“Why not just acknowledge what’s been done? I think in their desperation to score a political point now they really shouldn’t create a future foreign policy problem for themselves. It’s dangerous,” Mr Jennings said.