Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has revealed that his government is considering following America’s lead to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and shift the Australian embassy from Tel Aviv.
Morrison confirmed that Australia remains committed to a two-state solution, “but frankly, it hasn’t been going that well”, he said, adding: “Not a lot of progress has been made. And you don’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that he had spoken to Morrison about the idea, using Twitter to say he was “very thankful” to the Australian prime minister for the proposal.
The timing of the announcement by Morrison has been questioned by political opponents, coming just days before a crucial by-election in the federal electorate of Wentworth, which was vacated by ousted prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
The electorate has a relatively high Jewish population, and the government’s candidate for the seat, former Australian ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma, was credited by Morrison as the person who persuaded him to consider the policy shift, Bloomberg says.
If the government fails to win this weekend’s by-election, it will lose its single-seat majority in the lower house, forcing Morrison’s coalition into a minority government.
Morrison has since denied that his comments on the status of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital had any link to the upcoming by-election, however opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong accused the prime minister of playing “dangerous and deceitful word games with Australian foreign policy”.
-
Trump vs. states: Who gets to regulate AI?Feature Trump launched a task force to challenge state laws on artificial intelligence, but regulation of the technology is under unclear jurisdiction
-
Decking the hallsFeature Americans’ love of holiday decorations has turned Christmas from a humble affair to a sparkly spectacle.
-
Whiskey tariffs cause major problems for American distillersIn the Spotlight Jim Beam is the latest brand to feel the pain
-
Australia weighs new gun laws after antisemitic attackSpeed Read A father and son opened fire on Jewish families at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing at least 15
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
