Australia’s government, led by Labor leader Anthony Albanese, announced Tuesday that it would no longer formally recognize West Jerusalem. as the capital of Israell, reversing a decision made in 2018 by the former Conservative executive.

“The question of the final status of Jerusalem must be resolved through peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian people,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told a news conference.

Wong also stressed that the new government, elected in May after nine years as a conservative executive, does not intend to move the Australian embassy to West Jerusalem, which will remain in Tel Aviv.

“Australia is committed with a two-state solution in which Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist, in peace and security, within internationally recognized borders,” he said, before saying he would not support “an approach that undermines that perspective.”

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in November 2018 that the country would recognize West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, but would not. I would move the embassy until there was a peace agreement with Palestine.

“I know this has caused conflict and confusion within the Australian community, and today the government is trying to resolve it,” said Penny Wong.

The minister accused Scott Morrison’s government of making the decision to try to win a crucial election in a Sydney suburb with a large Jewish community.

“It was a cynical and unsuccessful game,” Wong said.

The 2018 decision also caused consternation in neighboring Indonesia – the country with the largest number of Muslims in the world -, leading to the temporary suspension of a free trade agreement with Australia

The United States was the first country to make this decision.in December 2017, which broke with decades of international consensus on the Holy City, the eastern part of which has been occupied by Israel since 1967 and claimed by the Palestinians as the capital of their state.

The announcement of the decision by the then US president, Donald Trump, was followed by similar statements from other countries, such as Guatemala, Paraguay, the Czech Republic and Honduras.

But, in September 2018, the government of the current Paraguayan president, Mario Abdo Benítez, said that it would annul the decision, “absolutely unilateral and without consultation, without any elementsnor arguments based on International Law”, taken by the outgoing President, Horácio Cartes, and announced the closure of the embassy.

This decision caused discomfort in Israel, which, for its part, decided to close its representation in Asunción.

Most countries, including Portugal, maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv.

Israel criticizes Australia’s decision not to recognize Jerusalem as capital

The Israeli government criticized Australia’s decision to stop formally recognizing West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and called for urgent the ambassador of Australia to a meeting

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid described the announcement by the Australian government, led by Labour’s Anthony Albanese, as “a hasty response to misinformation in the press”.

“We can only wish that the Australian government handles its other affairs more seriously and professionally,” Lapid added in a statement.

“Jerusalem is the eternal and united capital of Israel and nothing is going to change that,” the prime minister added.