Australia seems to have quietly scrapped its recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, The Guardian reported on Monday.
According to the report, the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has scrubbed off its website language that lays out Canberra’s recognition of West Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and its intention to move its embassy there after a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict been achieved.
The webpage now shows a text affirming Australia “is committed to a two-state solution in which Israel and a future Palestinian state co‑exist, in peace and security, within internationally recognised borders” but no longer includes mentions of West Jerusalem.
The freshly deleted sentences said: “Consistent with this longstanding policy, in December 2018, Australia recognised West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, being the seat of the Knesset and many of the institutions of the Israeli government.
Australia looks forward to moving its embassy to West Jerusalem when practical, in support of, and after the final status determination of, a two-state solution.”
The move constitutes a reverse course from a 2018 policy adopted by the administration of then-prime minister Scott Morrison following the moving of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.