Scott Morrison accuses Bill Shorten of being ‘less of a friend to Israel’

Labor confirms it will continue to recognise Tel Aviv as Israel’s capital, prompting stinging rebuke from PM Scott Morrison.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

Scott Morrison has accused Bill Shorten of being “less of a friend to Israel” after Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen confirmed his party would continue to recognise Tel Aviv as the country’s capital.

As revealed in The Weekend Australian, Australia has become one of the few countries in the world to formally recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel while pledging to recognise a future Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem.

In a move labelled a “humiliating backdown” by Labor, the Prime Minister announced his government would not move Australia’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem until the final status of the city was determined under a peace settlement.

However, a defence and trade office will be established in Jerusalem in a symbolic gesture of the bilateral relationship.

Opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen today declared the policy shift had “trashed 70 years of bipartisan foreign policy” for Mr Morrison’s “domestic political purposes”.

“We’ll have no part of it,” Mr Bowen told Sky News.

“We still abide by the 70 years of bipartisan foreign policy on this and we’ll revert to that 70 years of bipartisan policy on this.

“The capital of Israel as has been recognised, as we’ve been representing, (is) in Tel Aviv. That’s been 70 years of bipartisan foreign policy across the western world in effect has said we’ll do business with our embassy in Tel Aviv and that will continue under a Labor government.”

Labor does not support unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and in Government would reverse this decision.
The status of Jerusalem can only be resolved as part of any peace negotiations and two-state solution. pic.twitter.com/XZg29R0LE0

— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) December 15, 2018

Mr Morrison said Australia’s position was now that West Jerusalem is the Israeli capital, after a formal resolution of cabinet this 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 and step Australia back from what should be I think a very strong stand of support for Israel,” Mr Morrison said.

“We are one of their longest-standing friends, we are one of their best 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 has been accused of politicising the Middle East conflict by announcing a review of the embassy location in the lead-up to the October by-election in Wentworth, which has a large Jewish constituency.

.@australian’s Paul Kelly on the Israeli embassy: This is a very welcome retreat from @ScottMorrisonMP. Essentially him raising this issue during the Wentworth by-election has proved to be unnecessary.

MORE: https://t.co/QHo2hW3tyZ #SpeersonSunday pic.twitter.com/giLvUGkttT

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) December 15, 2018

The Indonesian government, one of the critics of the Morrison government’s review of the Middle East policy, has noted Australia will not relocate its embassy to Jerusalem and supported the principle of a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

Mr Morrison said he had “kept every word” of what he had told “others in the region” about how Australia would make its embassy decision.

“What I did yesterday was outline a measured, considered and balanced position, which refuses to accept the rancid stalemate that we have seen on progress towards a two-state solution. I believed it was time to call that out,” he said.

“As Prime Minister, I have lent forward in terms of defending Israel and ensuring — we had 17 UN General Assembly resolutions condemning Israel, yet only five for all of the other countries, Myanmar, Russia, Syria, North Korea — give me a break.”

The Indonesian government urged Australia and all member states of the UN to “promptly recognise the State of Palestine and to co-operate towards the attainment of sustainable peace, and agreement between the state of Palestine and Israel based on the principle of two-state solution”.

“Indonesia’s support to Palestine is a mandate of its Constitution, and Indonesia will continuously support the struggle of Palestine to obtain its rights,” a statement said.

The Opposition Leader has been contacted for comment.