Faraway Australia is not a permanent member of the UN Security Council, nor of the prestigious club known as the Middle East Quartet (US, EU, UN and Russia). Generally, it cuts and pastes the policy of whichever US administration happens to be in power on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On Dec. 15, it declared its recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, making international headlines. The decision to fly the Australian flag over a new office for trade and defense to be opened in Jerusalem but not to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is no more than a footnote in the annals of the century-old conflict. However, the language of the decision and the varied reactions it generated faithfully reflect the grim state of what is known as the “peace process.”
Let us start with the Dec. 15 declaration by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a speech in Sydney that his government recognizes West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. “We look forward to moving our embassy to West Jerusalem, when practical, in support of and after a final status determination,” he added. But if there is recognition, why is there no relocation? Perhaps, as Morrison also said, it's due to the “strong concern over Israel’s land appropriations, demolitions and settlement activity … The settlements undermine peace and contribute to the stalemate we now see (in the peace process).”
