We can only hope that the Australian government handles other problems more carefully and professionally, Lapid said, calling the action a “hasty response.”
In a statement issued by his office, the prime minister stated, “Nothing will ever change that Jerusalem is the everlasting and unified capital of Israel.
The Australian ambassador had been called, according to the Israeli foreign ministry, to make a formal complaint.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who announced the shift in stance by Australia’s center-left government, said the status of the city should be established via negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians rather than through executive orders.
The Australian embassy has always been, and will always be, in Tel Aviv, she continued, adding, “We will not accept a strategy that undermines” a two-state solution.
A conservative Australian government under Scott Morrison adopted Donald Trump’s policy of designating west Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2018.
The action resulted in political reaction in Australia and strained relations with Indonesia, the country next door that has the largest Muslim population in the world. This momentarily derailed a free trade agreement.
Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem, and the majority of other nations do not formally recognise it as the capital of either state.
