Embassy move to Jerusalem: Howard has his say
Former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard has told The Weekend Australian newspaper that he backs current prime minister Scott Morrison’s consideration of moving Australia’s embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
John Howard addresses UIA in 2017
This follows Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s attack on Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad who suggested that the move would increase the threat of terrorism in Australia. Frydenberg told media that the Malaysian leader has called Jews being “hooked nosed” and questioned the statistics of those Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust.
John Howard told The Weekend Australian: “I can’t accept that Australian foreign policy, particularly on something as basic as where we put an embassy, should be determined by other countries.”
He added: “I support the principle of the idea of having our embassy in Jerusalem and I think most Australians would take the view that our embassy should be in the capital city.”
Former Prime Minister John Howard has strongly backed Scott Morrison’s consideration to move the Australian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in “substance and principle”.
Mr Howard says the Australian government needs to establish its own foreign policy after the Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad warned the move could incite world-wide fear. The comments came after Indonesia after President Joko Widodo signalled there would be no free trade deal with Australia amid these embassy negotiations.
Well done Mr. Howard, Stand for Justice.