Donald Trump ‘strongly supports’ Scott Morrison over Israel

The White House endorses Scott Morrison’s new Middle East policy, including the potential relocation of our Israel embassy.

Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Scott Morrison’s new Middle East policy. Picture: AP.

The Trump administration has strongly backed the Morrison Government’s new Middle East policy, including the possible relocation of Australia’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

“We welcome and strongly support Australia’s review and discussions on relocating its embassy, seeking a better deal with Iran, and increasing engagement with Israel,” a White House official told The Australian today.

The official added “We appreciate Australia’s decision to vote no on the UN resolution,” in reference to Australia’s decision to oppose a resolution for the Palestinian Authority to chair a group of developing nations known as the G77.

But the shift in Coalition policy was criticised in New York today by the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, who said it would be in breach of UN resolutions and global consensus.

“Recent statements from Australia on Jerusalem and on possible move of Australia’s Embassy to the City are disappointing and regrettable,” Dr Mansour told The Australian. “But more so, such actions would breach UN Security Council resolutions.

“It is our hope that Australia, a long-time champion of international law, will abandon the kind of negative approach being currently reported and will instead respect international law and Security Council resolutions and remain part of the international consensus on these very critical and sensitive matters,” he said.

Any final decision to move Australia’s embassy to Jerusalem would be a coup for the White House, making Australia only the third country behind the US and Guatemala to make the move.

The embassy shift is contentious because it would effectively recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital despite the disputed status of the city in any future peace deal. Mr Trump has said that recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is merely a statement of the obvious.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he has not discussed with Donald Trump the possible embassy move to Jerusalem and says it was not made at the request of the United States.

“I have made this decision without any reference to the United States. It has not come up in any discussion I have had with the president or with officials,” Mr Morrison said.

“There has been no request, and there has been no discussion with the United States.

“Australia makes its decisions about its foreign policy independently. We do so in our own national interests consistent with our own beliefs and our own values.”

Palestine’s Dr Mansour said the potential embassy move to Jerusalem would be in breach of UN resolutions.

“Such actions would breach of UN Security Council resolutions, specifically resolution 478 (1980), which declared imposition of Israel’s “basic law” on Jerusalem as constituting a violation of international law and directly called on States having established diplomatic Missions in Jerusalem to withdraw such missions, as well as resolution 2334 (2016), in which the Security Council underscored that ”it will not recognise any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations,’ he said.

Mr Morrison is facing a diplomatic backlash from key regional partner Indonesia after texting President Joko Widodo on Monday night to inform him of Australia’s policy shift on Israel.