Arab League to warn Coalition against Israel policy shift

The Arab League, a group of 22 Arabic speaking nations, will send a high ranking delegation to Australia to urge the Morrison government to retreat from its new policy on Jerusalem.

Further on Friday, the Ambassadors of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon to Australia as well as the head of the Palestinian delegation plan to meet with the Department of Foreign Affairs Middle East First Secretary Hk Yu in Canberra to warn the Coalition of the consequences of the change in stance on the contested city.

Izzat Salah Abdulhadi, the head of the Palestinian delegation, said the group expect to have a “robust” discussion with the Australian official.

The decision was made at a meeting of the league in Cairo on Tuesday, which discussed the Australian government move to recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The league, which includes Australian trading partners such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates as well as the Syrian regime, also passed a resolution to call on Australia to “abide by international law” concerning the status of Jerusalem, and withdraw its recognition of West Jerusalem.

The resolution also called on Brazil to switch its policy after President-elect Jair Bolsonaro said he plans to move Brazil’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Read the article by Primrose Riordan in The Australian.