No change on Jerusalem recognition, says Penny Wong

Penny Wong has denied Labor has dropped recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel after the DFAT website deleted sentences relating to the previous Coalition government’s policy.

The website for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital until a few days ago. Picture: AFP

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has denied Labor has dropped recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel instead of Tel Aviv after the DFAT website deleted sentences relating to the previous Coalition government’s policy.

Scott Morrison formally recognised West Jerusalem in ­December 2018, despite holding off relocation of the Australian embassy from Tel Aviv.

Labor made clear at the time it did not support recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state after the former prime minister made Australia one of the few countries to do so.

It followed a decision by then-US president Donald Trump to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Despite Labor’s opposition to the move, the website for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital until a few days ago, when it quietly deleted relevant sentences regarding that policy. The sentences said: “Consistent with this longstanding policy, in December 2018 Australia recognised West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, being the seat of the Knesset and many of the institutions of the Israeli government.

“Australia looks forward to moving its embassy to West Jerusalem when practical, in support of and after the final status determination of, a two-state solution.”

A spokeswoman for Senator Wong said the government had not made any decision on changing official recognition of Israel’s capital.

“The former government made the decision to recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” the Foreign Minister said.

“No decision to change that has been made by the ­government.”

A spokesman for Mr Morrison said the shift on the capital of Israel was “dis­appointing and represents a further diminution in Australia’s support for the state of Israel by the Labor government from the high water mark ­established by the Morrison ­government”.

The 2021 Australian Labor Party national platform said Labor supported “an enduring and just two-state solution to the ­Israeli-Palestinian conflict”, but also explicitly called on the Labor government to “recognise Pales­tine as a state”.

Israel has come under fire in recent months from the international community for its “illegal settlements”, which refers to neighbourhoods being built in contested territories, and concerns around the treatment of ­Palestinians. Australia has raised human rights concerns.

Israel and Jewish organisations in Australia have raised issue with the language surrounding the conflict, which they warn is becoming increasingly anti-Semitic.

DFAT makes note on its website that Australia is “strongly ­opposed to unfair targeting of ­Israel in the UN and other multilateral institutions … however, we make clear our concerns about Israeli actions that undermine the prospects of a two-state solution and continue to urge Israel and other actors to respect international law.”

Australia was the first country to vote in favour of the 1947 UN partition resolution, which ultimately led to the creation of Israel as a nation state.

Canberra established diplomatic relations with Israel two years later and presided over the vote admitting Israel to the UN.