Christian and Jewish groups have joined forces to push Scott Morrison to endorse the move of Australia’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as the government contemplates putting a consulate in the Israeli capital.
The Christian and Jewish organisations, including the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem — which wrote the original US Embassy Act which Donald Trump enacted to shift the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem — has been urging the Australian government to shift its embassy for at least 12 months.
In a joint statement, the groups yesterday called “upon the Australian government to give formal recognition to Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel, and to announce the Australian embassy located in Tel Aviv will be relocated to Israel’s government precinct in Jerusalem as soon as feasible”.
The group, including the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Australian Jewish Association, Liberal Friends of Israel, Zionist Federation of Australia, Rabbinic Council of Australia and New Zealand, Advance Australia and Christians for Israel Australia, recently met officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and the head of Home Affairs, Mike Pezzullo.
Their campaign intensified after Mr Morrison announced during the Wentworth by-election that Australia would consider shifting its embassy to the traditional capital of Jerusalem.
Mr Morrison’s statement was criticised by Australia’s Islamic neighbours. He was accused of politicising foreign policy for domestic political gain.
Read the article by Dennis Shanahan in The Australian.