Colin Rubinstein rightly alluded to what should be a no-brainer for all Western governments — support for the only liberal democracy in the Middle East (“Morrison’s Jerusalem call a nudge to UN”, 19/12). There are three more points worth mentioning.
First, the city of Jerusalem was bequeathed to King David about 3000 years ago, which predates Islam by about 1700 years, so time and history are on the side of Israel.
Second, any words of warning from Indonesia or Malaysia about an embassy move causing terrorism, are a simple reinforcement of the low expectations that some minorities use as an excuse for civil anarchy.
Third, one would think that Labor, the Greens and the LGBTI people would have a bit of sympathy for a nation that is a safe haven for gays in a region where homosexuality is illegal and a corporal or capital offence.
All the political sentiments and pernicious concerns of anti-Semitic leaders about facilitating a long-term peace process simply have no value when this parcel of contested land is surrounded by infuriated nations that are perpetually hellbent on the complete termination of Israel.
Peter Waterhouse, Craigieburn, Vic
[Letter was published in The Australian.]