It is extraordinary that Australia should entertain discussion on moving our embassy to west Jerusalem, much less offer Indonesia an answer by Christmas. Israel has been subject to assault of one kind or another — including its right to exist — since biblical times. But Jerusalem is its home and capital city, and always will be.
No country in the world experiences what they do on a daily basis, much less having to tolerate foreign nations dictate whether other foreign embassies should be allowed to move to the Israeli capital.
Moving the Australian embassy to west Jerusalem should have been done long ago. Australia is dragging its feet for the wrong reasons. It is not a very smart move by the Indonesian President to pressure Australia about this argument while trade-agreement discussions are going on. It is an unsophisticated if not a spiteful distraction. Scott Morrison should not shirk at challenging this desperate ploy by Indonesia, even if it stalls a free-trade agreement.
Appearing to make an impulsive public proposal to move Australia’s embassy to Jerusalem, Scott Morrison has now set up Australia for a humiliating foreign policy backdown in the face of a threat from Indonesia.
Despite a trade deal that favours Indonesia as much as Australia and the millions of dollars in aid directed at that country, can Australia afford to have its foreign policy determined under these terms? Are we obliged to move the embassy to retain self-respect even if the initial intent of the announcement was political bluster?
Read these letters published in The Australian.