A motion to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and to move the Australia embassy there
Senator Fraser Anning (Qld) last night filed a Notice of Motion with the Clerk of the Senate to the effect that Australia will recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move our embassy to the western side of Jerusalem…the motion was defeated in the senate today by 50-4.
Senator Fraser Anning
The Australia Jewish Association has said the nomination of the western side is obviously a strategy to reduce the scope for objections.In a statement the AJA said: “
Dr David Adler, AJA President said “It is an explicit core policy of AJA that Jerusalem is the eternal undivided capital of Israel and the Jewish nation. We believe that the Australian embassy should be located in Israel’s capital”.
AJA has worked closely with Sen Anning’s office and support his motion. “We want to recognise him as a friend of the Jewish people and thank him for this initiative. It is an opportunity to put Australian senators to the test on this important matter of principle,” Dr Adler added.
In a statement the AJA said: “In its 3000 year history, Jerusalem has been undivided except for 19 years from 1948-67 when it was illegally occupied by Jordan. It has never been the capital of an Arab or Muslim entity and there is no basis for that to change.
Nevertheless, by the motion nominating the Western side of Jerusalem it deals with the presumptive possible objections of appeasers who think that the Arab Palestinians have some claim to an eastern part of Jerusalem. In any potential peace scenario, even one argued by those who think Jerusalem should be redivided, the western side of Jerusalem is undisputed as part of Israel.
AJA called on all Senators to support the motion to be moved by Senator Anning.”
Senator told the Senate: “Jerusalem is a location of significant importance for the Jewish and Christian faiths and it is only fitting that we acknowledge our religious and cultural heritage by moving our embassy to the eternal city.” He said that Australia should follow the steps taken “by the courageous” president of the U.S.
Senator Jame McGrath responded by saying: “The Government considers Jerusalem to be a final status issue for negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Australia will continue to maintain its embassy in Tel-Aviv. The Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister have restated foreign policy on several recent occasions. The Government has no plans to relocate the embassy to Jerusalem. Australia considers that in the view of the highly sensitive status of Jerusalem and its consideration as a final status issue is not conducive to the peace progress to move the embassy there.”
Dr David Adler told J-Wire: “Obviously we are disappointed that the vote on recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the Australian embassy was lost.
It appears that both major parties instructed their Senators to vote no. We know that there are quite a few LNP Senators that given a free vote would have voted yes. Only a few days ago the Liberal Party Federal Council passed a resolution supporting an embassy move. There is a significant split between the members and the leadership on this issue.
It is significant that prior to the vote a Liberal senator read a prepared statement stating “that the status of Jerusalem is to be determined in final status negotiations”. We have heard that phrase before. It is of course nonsensical, particularly if the proposal as the motion stated was for the embassy to be in the western side of Jerusalem. There is no rational basis for objection.
The numerical result is not representative of the sentiment had a free vote been permitted. Australia will join the trend of recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the embassy; if not in the immediate future then in the medium term.”
Senator Anning is a member of Katter’s Australian Party.
Which ‘peace process” is that?
Oh, he must mean the one consisting of the blowing up of Israeli buses, restaurants, supermarkets by Arab’Palestinians” using “non-violent”, proportionate bomb belts.
Well done Senator Fraser Anning, you tried. The lies told about Israel and Jerusalem are very effective in influencing politicians and causing them to vote against G-d’s country. Israel, although belated, is now countering these lies and it is good to see. I am a Christian who works on a Christian outreach table in Melbourne and I delight in doing it with an Israeli hand waving flag in my hand.