Australia Considers Embassy Move to Jerusalem
The Australian embassy in Naypyidaw, Myanmar.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison of the Liberal Party announced that Australia is considering moving its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a decision that would formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. While the rhetoric has been applauded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestine, Indonesia, and the opposition Labor Party have criticized such a move. The Labor Party’s foreign affairs spokeswoman has said that the move would break bipartisan consensus and jeopardize the two-state solution, labelling Morrison’s recent announcement as “dangerous and deceitful.” Morrison maintains that “when sensible suggestions are put forward that are consistent with your policy positioning and in this case pursuing a two-state solution, Australia should be open-minded to [moving the embassy].”
Jerusalem has traditionally remained a neutral site in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because of its disputed status and religious importance to both Jews and Muslims. Until December 2017, when the United States moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, all countries had agreed to keep their embassies outside of the holy city to allow Palestine and Israel to resolve their dispute internally. Jerusalem remains Palestine’s proposed capital as an independent state.
The United States’ move to shift its embassy was widely condemned in the global community. The move was premised on Trump’s assertion that the U.S. was simply recognizing the reality of the situation as Jerusalem was the Jewish “capital for 3,000 years,” and his decision took “Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table.” The UN General Assembly voted on a resolution in December that widely condemned this decision. Though Guatemala and Paraguay originally followed by moving their embassies, upon the election of a new president, Paraguay has since committed to move its embassy back to Tel Aviv, with President Mario Abdo Benitez stating that his nation wanted to contribute to “a broad, fair, and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
Evangelical Christians viewed the embassy move favorably in the United States as it was “consistent with a biblical prophecy to pave the way for the return of Jesus Christ.” However, Morrison maintains that his Pentecostal faith had no relation to his considerations.
The announcement also comes as Morrison’s Liberal Party, which holds a slim majority in Parliament, faces re-election in 2019. Morrison took power after former-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was ousted because over internal party politics. Morrison is described by Georgetown Professor Gregory Brown as “a very aggressive player.” Though the move would isolate Australia’s foreign policy from the rest of the world, except for the the U.S., it could be popular among Jewish voters as the Liberal Party attempts to draw criticism away from its handling of climate change. Opposition Senator Penny Wong criticized Morrison, stating that he “is now so desperate to hang on to his job, he is prepared to say anything if he thinks it will win him a few more votes—even at the cost of Australia's national interest.”
The embassy considerations also put additional strain on diplomatic relations with Indonesia, which has strongly supported Palestine. Though Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Morrison remain committed to negotiations on a deal that promotes trade and investment, the Indonesian foreign minister has expressed his “strong concern.”
Although Liberal Party officials have previously said that “Jerusalem represented a hot button issue in the Middle East, and any mention of change to it status risked violent upheavals,” Australia’s shifting position on Jerusalem is likely to change the dynamics of Israel-Palestine relations and Australia’s diplomatic relations with other nations of Muslim majority.