Australia recognises west Jerusalem as Israel capital
Australia now recognises west Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said yesterday, but a contentious embassy shift from Tel Aviv will not occur until a peace settlement is achieved.
Canberra became one of just a few governments around the world to follow US President Donald Trump's lead and recognise the contested city as Israel's capital, but Morrison also committed to recognising a future state of Palestine with east Jerusalem as its capital.
Both Israel and the Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital.
Most foreign nations avoided moving embassies there to prevent inflaming peace talks on the city's final status -- until Trump unilaterally moved the US embassy there earlier this year.
"We look forward to moving our embassy to west Jerusalem when practical, in support of and after final status of determination," Morrison said, adding that work on a new site for the embassy was under way.
The political development came as Israeli troops demolished the home of a Palestinian accused of the May killing of a soldier yesterday, completing a night-long incursion into the Palestinian-controlled city of Ramallah.
The raid on the West Bank city where Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has his headquarters comes as Israeli forces search for the perpetrator of a Thursday shooting attack that killed two Israeli soldiers.
The incursion late Friday triggered clashes with angry residents following a week of rising tensions.
Inside the camp, soldiers demolished the home of Islam Abu Hamid, who was arrested in June for the soldier's killing. The family house was completely destroyed in a controlled explosion, AFP correspondents at the scene said.
Israel regularly demolishes the homes of Palestinians who carry out attacks against Israelis.
Comments