© dpa
Israel: Tel Aviv
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia has reversed a previous government’s recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the center-left Labor Party government agreed to again recognize Tel Aviv as the capital. Wong said the Cabinet also reaffirmed that Jerusalem’s status must be resolved in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
The former conservative government’s decision in 2018 followed a U.S. decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government was elected out of office in May.
Both Morrison and Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid expressed disappointment in Australia’s changed position. The status of Jerusalem remains one of the thorniest issues in the decades-long conflict.
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