Australian embassy in Israel may be moved to Jerusalem

Prime minister says idea is a ‘sensible’ proposal and that pursuing a two-state solution ‘hasn’t been going that well’

Michael McGowan, and Oliver Holmes in Jerusalem
Tue 16 Oct 2018 00.06 BST

Australia may follow US president Donald Trump’s lead and move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

Scott Morrison, Australia’s new prime minister, said on Tuesday he was “open to” following the move, describing it as a “sensible” proposal.

Morrison, an evangelical Christian, immediately faced questions about whether his religious views had played a part in his decision to float the proposal, something he denied. “My faith and religion has nothing to do with this decision,” he said.

Instead, he argued the status quo in Israeli-Palestinian relations had failed to make headway. “The orthodoxy that’s driven this debate which says issues like considering the question of the capital are taboo. I think we have to challenge that,” he said.

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