Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The US moved its embassy to Jerusalem in May

Australia will consider recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moving its embassy there from Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says.

If acted upon, the move would follow a recent policy shift by the US that has drawn criticism internationally.

Mr Morrison said Australia remained committed to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Political opponents said Mr Morrison's comments were a "deceitful" ploy for votes ahead of a crucial by-election.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the most contested issues between Israel and the Palestinians.

US President Donald Trump drew international criticism last year when he reversed decades of American foreign policy by recognising the ancient city as Israel's capital. The US embassy was relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May.

Mr Morrison said he would consult with his cabinet and other nations before making any decisions.

"We are committed to a two-state solution, but frankly, it hasn't been going that well - not a lot of progress has been made," he told reporters on Tuesday.

He said it may be possible for his nation to support a two-state solution and recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital - something that Australia had "to date assumed" was unfeasible.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Why the ancient city of Jerusalem is so important

The prime minister said one future scenario could involve Australia recognising a Palestinian Authority capital in East Jerusalem and Israeli capital in West Jerusalem.

"Australia should be open-minded to this," Mr Morrison said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted his approval on Monday.

But Palestinian representatives said the proposal could damage Australia's international standing.

"They are risking Australia's trade and business relationship with the rest of the world, in particular [the] Arab and Muslim world," said Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki.

He was speaking in Jakarta after talks with officials in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country. Australia and Indonesia are due to sign a trade deal this year.

Mr Morrison's predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, had ruled out following the US in moving Australia's embassy to Jerusalem.

Two other countries - Guatemala and Paraguay - announced they would also make the switch, but Paraguay later reversed the decision after a change of government.

By-election issue

On Tuesday, Mr Morrison said his thinking had been guided by Australia's former ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma.

Mr Sharma is the government's candidate in a by-election, to be held on Saturday, for the seat vacated by Mr Turnbull after he was ousted as prime minister.

If Mr Morrison fails to retain the Sydney electorate, Wentworth, he will be forced into minority government. He denied that his comments on Tuesday were aimed at Wentworth's large Jewish community.

But the Labor opposition's Senate leader, Penny Wong, said Mr Morrison was playing "dangerous and deceitful word games with Australian foreign policy".

"[Scott Morrison] is prepared to say anything if he thinks it will win him a few more votes - even at the cost of Australia's national interest," she said.

Why is the status of Jerusalem so contentious?

The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel regards Jerusalem as its "eternal and undivided" capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem - occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war - as the capital of a future state.

Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and according to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, the final status of Jerusalem is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks.

Since 1967, Israel has built a dozen settlements, home to about 200,000 Jews, in East Jerusalem. These are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

In December 2017, UN member states voted decisively at the General Assembly in favour of a resolution effectively declaring US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital to be "null and void" and demanding it be cancelled.</s>Australian prime minister Scott Morrison, whose government faces a crucial by-election that could weaken its grip on power, said on Tuesday Canberra was open to recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and shifting its embassy there.

Such a move, which would follow US president Donald Trump’s controversial decision in December to do just that, would reverse decades of foreign policy and inflame tension with some of Australia’s Asian neighbours.

Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, and Australia are due to sign a trade deal this year.

Indonesia’s trade minister, Enggartiasto Lukita, denied Australian media reports on Tuesday that Jakarta was considering putting the pact on hold over the possibility of Canberra changing its stance on Israel.

Mr Morrison’s openness to recognising Jerusalem and moving Australia’s embassy there comes four days before a by-election in Sydney where his centre-right coalition faces the risk of losing its tenuous hold on power.

The by-election is in the Sydney harbourside seat of Wentworth vacated by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who was ousted in a party-room coup by members of Mr Morrison’s Liberal party, the senior partner in a Liberal-National coalition, in August.

Census figures show 12.5 per cent of people in Wentworth are Jewish, a significantly larger proportion than the rest of the country. The Liberal candidate contesting the by-election on Saturday is Dave Sharma, a former Australian ambassador to Israel who has floated the idea in the past.

Mr Morrison will have to negotiate with independent lawmakers in order to continue governing in minority if the coalition loses Saturday’s by-election.

The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper described Mr Morrison’s apparent change of heart as “unprincipled and craven” and he faced a torrid question time in parliament.

“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,” Mr Morrison said earlier in Canberra.

“No decision has been made regarding the recognition of a capital or the movement of an embassy ... but at the same time, what we are simply doing is being open to that suggestion,” Mr Morrison said.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel regards all of the city, including the eastern sector that it annexed after the 1967 Middle East war, as its capital.

Australia refused to follow Mr Trump’s decision in December, which enraged Palestinians and upset the Arab world and Western allies, and has so far kept its mission in Tel Aviv.

The apparent change of policy was welcomed by Israel but swiftly criticised by Palestinian representatives.

Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom Mr Morrison had telephoned to explain his shift, said on Twitter he was “very thankful” Mr Morrison was considering the move.

Palestinians, with broad international backing, want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state they hope to establish in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Peace talks between the parties broke down in 2014.

In a statement, Palestine’s embassy in Australia called Mr Morrison’s announcement “deeply disturbing”. It said short-term political gain “would surely be outweighed by the detriment both to Australia’s international standing and in its relations with Arab and Muslim-majority countries”.

The US embassy became the only foreign embassy in Jerusalem in May, but Mr Netanyahu has attempted to persuade others to follow suit.

University of Sydney political analyst Rod Tiffen said the shifting position was being driven by local politics.

“It’s a big change, it is out of step with everyone, except America,” said Mr Tiffen.

“But three days out from the Wentworth by-election, it’s pretty blatant ... to the extent that there is a Jewish vote there, it probably helps.”–Reuters</s>Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose government faces a crucial by-election that could weaken its grip on power, said on Tuesday Canberra was open to recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital and shifting its embassy there.

SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose government faces a crucial by-election in four days, said on Tuesday Canberra was open to recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital, prompting concern from Indonesian and Palestinian officials.

Morrison's comments about recognising Jerusalem and possibly moving Australia's embassy there, just like U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial decision in December, would reverse decades of foreign policy and inflame tension with some of Australia's Asian neighbours.

Australia is due to a sign a trade deal this year with

Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim-majority country, where the Palestinian question is a sensitive issue and tens of thousands protested against Trump’s decision.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, speaking at a joint news conference with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki in Jakarta, reaffirmed Indonesia's support for a two-state solution to the Middle East dispute and warned Australia against the risk of insecurity.

"Indonesia asks Australia and other countries to support peace talks ... and not take steps that would threaten that peace process and stability of world security," Marsudi said.

Morrison told parliament on Tuesday he had been in touch with Indonesian President Joko Widodo to explain his position.

Maliki said he was saddened that Australia might violate international law and disrespect a U.N. Security Council resolution.

"They are risking Australia's trade and business relationship with the rest of the world, in particular (the) Arab and Muslim world," he said.

Ambassadors from 13 Arab countries met in Canberra on Tuesday and agreed to send a letter to Australia's foreign minister expressing their concern, Egyptian ambassador to Australia Mohamed Khairat said.

Morrison's openness to recognising Jerusalem and moving Australia's embassy there comes four days before a by-election in Sydney at which his centre-right coalition runs the risk of losing its tenuous hold on power.

The by-election is in the Sydney harbourside seat of Wentworth vacated by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who was ousted in a party-room coup by members of Morrison's Liberal party, the senior partner in a Liberal-National coalition, in August.

Census figures show 12.5 percent of people in Wentworth are Jewish, a significantly larger proportion than elsewhere in Australia. The Liberal candidate contesting the by-election on Saturday, Dave Sharma, is a former Australian ambassador to Israel who has floated the idea in the past.

Morrison will have to negotiate with independent lawmakers in order to continue governing in a minority if the coalition loses Saturday's by-election.

Morrison said earlier on Tuesday the political orthodoxy that drove such debates suggested that discussion of the Israeli capital was "taboo". He said no decision had been made and he was simply being open to the suggestion.

The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper described his apparent change of heart as "unprincipled and craven".

University of Sydney political analyst Rod Tiffen said the shift in position was being driven by domestic politics.

"It's a big change, it is out of step with everyone, except America," said Tiffen.

"But three days out from the Wentworth by-election, it's pretty blatant ... to the extent that there is a Jewish vote there, it probably helps."

The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel regards all of the city, including the eastern sector that it annexed after the 1967 Middle East war, as its capital.

Trump's decision in December enraged Palestinians and upset the Arab world and Western allies. Australia refused to follow its closest ally's example and has so far kept its mission in Tel Aviv.

The apparent change of policy was welcomed by Israel but swiftly criticised by Palestinian representatives.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom Morrison had telephoned to explain his shift, said on Twitter he was "very thankful" Morrison was considering the move.

Palestinians, with broad international backing, want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state they hope to establish in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Peace talks between the parties broke down in 2014.

The U.S. Embassy became the only foreign embassy in Jerusalem in May, but Netanyahu has attempted to persuade others to follow suit.</s>Australia’s prime minister has said he is open to recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city – reversing decades of foreign policy.

At a press conference yesterday, Scott Morrison said he was "open-minded" over proposals to move the Australian embassy to the holy city.

He said Australia remains committed to the two-state solution but “frankly it hasn't been going that well” adding that “you don't keep doing the same thing and expect different results.”

He said plans to move the embassy and recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s were “sensible and persuasive.”

Israel considers the whole of the city as its "eternal, undivided capital" - but East Jerusalem is considered illegally occupied under international law.

Israel annexed the Old City in 1967 - but that move was not recognised internationally.

Palestinians view the Eastern part of the city as the capital of their future state.

Mr Morrison became Australia’s sixth prime minister in 11 years after his predecessor Malcolm Turnbull was ousted by members of his own party.

Mr Morrison announced his Israeli plans ahead a crucial Sydney by-election to fill Mr Turnbull’s vacant seat in Sydney.

The Wentworth constituency has a significant Jewish population at 12.5% and Mr Morrison’s Liberal Party candidate Dave Sharma is trailing in the polls.

Mr Sharma is a former Australian ambassador to Israel who has floated the idea or recognising Jerusalem as the country’s capital in the past.

Should the Liberal Party lose the election, Mr Morrison’s centre-right coalition will lose its one-seat majority – forcing him to negotiate with independents to continue governing as a minority.

The opposition Labor Party’s foreign policy spokesperson Penny Wong said the prime minister was “now so desperate to hang on to his job, he is prepared to say anything if he thinks it will win him a few more votes - even at the cost of Australia's national interest.”

The move has also been criticised by Australia’s Asian neighbours – with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi urging Mr Morrison not to take “steps that would threaten that peace process and stability of world security.”

The Israeli Prime Minister said Mr Morrison had informed him of his plans, adding “I am very thankful to him for this. We will continue to strengthen ties between Israel and Australia.

It comes after the US President Donald Trump moved the US embassy to the disputed city – sparking outrage across the Arab world and months of protest in Palestine.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said by the end of July, 155 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces during the protests – including 23 minors.</s>SYDNEY/JERUSALEM, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Australia will consider recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital and shifting its embassy there from Tel Aviv, Australia's Prime Minister said on Tuesday.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel regards all of the city, including the eastern sector that it annexed after the 1967 Middle East war, as its capital.

Last December, U.S. President Donald Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy by recognising Jerusalem, enraging the Palestinians and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies.

Australia was firm in its refusal to follow suit at the time, however Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in parliament he was now "open-minded" about doing so, while not changing Australia's policy of support for a Palestinian state.

"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," Morrison said.

"The whole point of a two-state solution is two nations recognised living side by side," he added, saying he was open to the suggestion from Dave Sharma, Australia's former ambassador to Israel, that Australia support West Jerusalem as Israel's capital and East Jerusalem as Palestine's.

"No decision has been made in regarding the recognition of a capital or the movement of an embassy ... but at the same time, what we are simply doing is being open to that suggestion."

The U.S. Embassy became the only foreign embassy in Jerusalem in May, and Guatemala and Paraguay followed Washington's lead days later and also moved their embassies, although Paraguay returned its mission to Tel Aviv last month. Israel closed its embassy in Asuncion in response.

The Palestinians, with broad international backing, want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state that they hope to establish in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Peace talks between the parties broke down in 2014.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attempted to persuade other countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem.

Sharma, who was ambassador to Israel between 2013 and 2017, is on Saturday standing as a candidate for Morrison's ruling Liberal Party in a crucial by-election in Sydney.

Morrison also said Australia would review its support for the Iran nuclear deal, under which sanctions were lifted in return for restraints on its nuclear program "to determine whether our current policy settings remain fit for purpose".

Trump decided in May to abandon the pact and to restore economic sanctions on Iran, including those that seek to force the OPEC member's major oil customers to stop buying Iranian crude. (Reporting by Tom Westbrook and Wayne Cole in SYDNEY and Ori Lewis in JERUSALEM; Editing by Kevin Liffey and James Dalgleish)</s>Australia might soon follow in controversial US footsteps and relocate its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the country's new prime minister hinted after discussing the issue with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

Arguing that a two-state solution has failed to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that his government is contemplating moving the Australian embassy to the Holy City, to somehow rejuvenate the negotiation process.

"We're committed to a two-state solution, but frankly, it hasn't been going that well, not a lot of progress has been made, and you don't keep doing the same thing and expect different results," Morrison said Tuesday morning, speaking from Parliament House.

Crediting the former Australian ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma, of bringing up the relocation issue to a public debate, Morrison noted that he remains "open-minded" about the "sensible" and "persuasive" possibility of following US President Donald Trump's controversial move. Establishing a permanent diplomatic presence in Jerusalem, the PM argued, will not impede the potential creation of independent state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel.

"You can achieve both" the two-state solution and Jerusalem being Israel's capital, he claimed. "Indeed by pursuing both you are actually aiding the cause for a two-state solution."

Stressing that "no decision" has yet been made, Morrison promised to consult his cabinet as well as world leaders before making the bold move. While the possibility of relocating the Australian embassy to Jerusalem was welcomed by Netanyahu, Morrison's critics blamed the PM of catering to the Jewish electorate of Wentworth, where former Ambassador Sharma is trailing behind in the opinion polls ahead of the crucial parliamentary by-election scheduled this week. If the Liberal party candidate loses the crucial vote, Morrison's party will lose the one-seat majority in parliament.

"Scott Morrison is now so desperate to hang on to his job, he is prepared to say anything if he thinks it will win him a few more votes - even at the cost of Australia's national interest," said the opposition Labour party foreign policy spokeswoman Penny Wong.

The former government headed by PM Malcolm Turnbull rejected relocating the country's embassy to Jerusalem. But on Monday, Sharma told an election forum he was "open" to moving the embassy.

The two-state solution envisages an independent Palestine alongside Israel. While the Palestinians insist on drawing the demarcation lines along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem serving as the capital of the future Palestinian state, Israel claims historic rights to the entire city.

‘Completely contrary to reality’: Trump’s Israel embassy move irreversible, US ambassador says

There have been many diplomatic efforts to realize a two-state solution, but the last US-led Palestinian-Israeli peace talks came to a halt in April 2014, under the Obama administration. While both Russia and France offered to host delegations from Israel and Palestine for renewed peace talks, on December 6, 2017 Trump announced that the United States would recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The decision sparked international outrage as well as violent demonstrations in the Palestinian territories. Though the UN General Assembly voted 128-9 to condemn the US decision, Washington still opened its embassy in Jerusalem in May this year.

Trump's Jerusalem move marked the first time since the UN-brokered partition of Palestine in 1947 that a president of the US – a member of the Middle East Quartet, which is charged with mediating the peace process between Palestine and Israel – has departed from the established policy that the issue of Jerusalem as Israel's capital should be kept off the table.

If Australia does indeed relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, it will become the third country to recognize the city as the capital of Israel. Currently, only the US and Guatemala have their diplomatic headquarters there. Just last month, Paraguay reversed its decision to move its embassy, returning it to Tel Aviv.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!</s>SHOCK internal Liberal Party polling has shown the government could lose Saturday's Wentworth by-election to independent candidate Kerryn Phelps.

The Australian reports the latest batch of polling conducted for the Liberals shows Dr Phelps ahead of Dave Sharma 55-45 on the two party preferred measure. A week ago they were locked at 50-50.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who quit as Wentworth's MP after he was ejected from the top job, held the seat with a two-party majority of almost 18 per cent.

Scott Morrison's government currently holds a one-seat majority in parliament. Defeat in the by-election would force it to rely on the crossbenchers to govern before the next federal election, which must be held by May.

The Liberals fear they will be hurt by Wentworth's voters assuming they will hold the seat. It is possible today's polling was leaked in an attempt to get more Coalition voters to show up at the polls.

Yesterday Mr Morrison was accused of jeopardising Australia's foreign policy in a play for more support in Wentworth.

The Prime Minister announced he would consider moving our embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognising the holy city as its capital.

The ownership of Jerusalem is a deeply controversial issue. Both the Israelis and Palestinians claim it as their own, and its final status has long been one of the major obstacles in negotiations for a two-state solution.

There were fears yesterday that Mr Morrison's move risked alienating Indonesia, with whom Australia is supposed to sign a new free trade deal before the end of the year.

His timing was interesting to say the least, with the by-election just days away. Wentworth happens to have a large proportion of Jewish voters.

Mr Morrison credited Mr Sharma with raising the issue. Mr Sharma is a former ambassador to Israel.

"When sensible suggestions are put forward that are consistent with your policy and in this case, pursuing a two-state solution, Australia should be open-minded to this and I am open-minded to this," Mr Morrison said.

"I'm not going to close my mind off to things that can actually be done better and differently.

"We are committed a two-state solution, but frankly, it hasn't been going that well. Not a lot of progress has been made. And you don't keep doing the same thing and expect different solutions."

The Prime Minister said no decision had been made on the embassy yet, and he would consult his cabinet colleagues and other world leaders to gauge their opinions on the matter.

Dr Phelps slammed the announcement as "politically timed", telling a forum at the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies last night it was made "without a proper analysis of the defence, trade and security implications".

However she has not ruled out supporting such a move herself. Dr Phelps said she would ask for a security briefing to help her decide, should she win a place in parliament.

Mr Sharma, for his part, told the forum Mr Morrison's announcement was provoked by a United Nations resolution which required Australia to declare its political intentions.

Mr Morrison said he would not support a push for the Palestinian Authority to chair the G77, a coalition of developing nations at the UN.

If Australia does move its embassy, it will be following the lead of US President Donald Trump, who did the same thing in May. Mr Trump's decision led to mass protests in Gaza, in which Israeli forces killed 58 Palestinians.

Mr Sharma wrote an opinion piece at the time examining the issue in some depth.

"It makes no sense to deny the centuries of history that link the Jewish people to Jerusalem," he wrote.

"It also makes little sense to pretend the western part of Jerusalem is not sovereign Israeli territory. Israel's Knesset (parliament), Supreme Court, the official residences of its prime minister and president and many other state institutions lie within it.

"Foreign dignitaries, including Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop (who were still in their jobs at the time), base themselves at west Jerusalem's King of David Hotel during official visits. As an ambassador, I would travel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem several times a week to meet ministers and officials."

However he also acknowledged America's move came with significant risks and would "inflame" opinion across the Middle East.

Mr Sharma said the United States should "make clear that Trump's statement is not an endorsement of Israel's claim of sovereignty over the entire city of Jerusalem, and that it expects a Palestinian capital in the predominantly Arab neighbourhoods of east Jerusalem will emerge during final status negotiations."</s>Australia‘s prime minister said Tuesday that he was open to shifting the Australian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in line with President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize the contested holy city as Israel’s capital.

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the idea was suggested to him by a former ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma, who is a candidate for Morrison’s conservative Liberal Party in a crucial byelection Saturday in a Sydney electorate with a large Jewish population.

Morrison said Australia remained committed to finding a two-state solution to Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians.

“When sensible suggestions are put forward that are consistent with your policy positioning and in this case pursuing a two-state solution, Australia should be open-minded to this and I am open-minded to this and our government is open-minded to this,” Morrison told reporters.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had recently spoken to Morrison and welcomed the Australian policy shift.

Morrison “informed me that he is considering officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel & moving the Australian embassy to Jerusalem. I’m very thankful to him for this,” Netanyahu tweeted. “We will continue to strengthen ties” between Israel and Australia.

Morrison also announced that Australia would vote against a United Nations resolution this week to recognize the Palestinian Authority as the chair of the Group of 77 developing countries and would review the three-year-old Iran nuclear deal.

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The opposition centre-left Labor Party said the announcement was a desperate attempt to win the byelection in the Wentworth electorate.

When the government forced former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull from office in August, he quit Parliament. If Sharma is not elected as the new lawmaker for Wentworth, the government will lose its single-seat majority in the House of Representatives.

“Foreign policy, and Australia’s national interest are far too important to be played with in this fashion,” Labor lawmaker Penny Wong said.

“The people of Wentworth, and all Australians, deserve a leader who puts the national interest ahead of his self-interest, and governs in the best long-term interest of the nation,” she added.

The Trump administration turned its back on decades of U.S. policy by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv in May.

George Browning, president of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, accused the government of “aligning itself with the most erratic, reactionary and bullish U.S. foreign policy ever.”

“This is an irresponsible policy that compromises the future of millions of people in the Middle East for a handful of votes in Wentworth,” Browning said in a statement.

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Morrison denied that the United States or the byelection had influenced his announcement.

“I have made this decision without any reference to the United States. It has not come up in any discussion I have had with the president or with officials,” Morrison said.

“There has been no request, and there has been no discussion with the United States. Australia makes its decisions about its foreign policy independently. We do so in our own national interests consistent with our own beliefs and our own values,” he added.</s>Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Monday that he will consider moving the country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing the holy city as Israel’s capital.

“We’re committed to a two-state solution, but frankly it hasn’t been going that well, not a lot of progress has been made, and you don’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results,” Morrison stated.

Morrison will make an announcement today, which is set to be framed within a foreign policy statement, including an explanation as to why Australia will vote “no” to recognizing the Palestinian Authority (PA) as the chair of an important bloc of nations called the G77 in the UN, according to a report in The Australian.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Morrison by telephone and thanked him for his positive remarks. The two were also thought to have discussed ways to continue strengthening bilateral relations.

Reports suggest that Morrison was swayed in his thinking by conversations with former Australian Ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma. The former envoy, who is a candidate for Australia’s Liberal Party in a crucial by-election next week – activated when a previous prime minister Malcolm Turnbull resigned his seat – argued that backing the move was not inconsistent with Australia’s long-running position of support for a two-state solution.

Morrison has endured a great deal of criticism for the timing of his Jerusalem comments. The seat for which Sharma is up for election, Wentworth in Sydney, has an estimated 20,000 Jews or 12.5% of the population and the prime minister stands accused of trying to win them over with his announcement. Historically, the Australian Jewish community has been fiercely Zionistic and the government’s decision to move the embassy would be one that would largely be seen favorably.

Morrison’s Liberal Party is in a tricky situation, as they only hold a one-seat majority in the Australian parliament – which would be wiped out if they were to lose the by-election.

When asked by reporters about his views, Sharma said that Australia should be open to the possibility of moving the embassy but that it should be done in the context of a two-state solution.

In December, he tweeted that U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement (to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem), though risky, carried with it an “opportunity to advance peace.” In May, Sharma tweeted that even if Australia didn’t follow the United States’ lead and move the embassy to Jerusalem we should at least consider recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital (w/o prejudice to its final boundaries or potential status as capital of future Palestinian state).

Where else do we disagree with a country about where its capital is?”

In other Australia-Israel related news, the two countries will appoint Defense Attaches to each other’s embassies and Australia will review its support of the Iran Nuclear Deal.</s>Australia has raised the prospect of following the example of the US by relocating its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Critics have described the policy shift as a desperate grab for domestic political gain to win a crucial by-election for the ruling Liberal Party.

Australian prime minister Scott Morrison said the idea was suggested to him by a former ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma, who is a candidate for the Liberal Party in a by-election on Saturday in the Sydney electorate of Wentworth, which has a large Jewish population.

At stake is the government’s single-seat majority in the country’s House of Representatives and Mr Morrison’s ability to retain power without the need for deals with independent politicians.

Mr Morrison said Australia remains committed to finding a two-state solution to Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians.

He said: “When sensible suggestions are put forward that are consistent with your policy positioning and in this case pursuing a two-state solution, Australia should be open-minded to this and I am open-minded to this and our government is open-minded to this.”

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had recently spoken to Mr Morrison and welcomed the Australian policy shift.

Mr Morrison “informed me that he is considering officially recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel & moving the Australian embassy to Jerusalem. I’m very thankful to him for this,” Mr Netanyahu tweeted.

He added that Israel will “continue to strengthen ties” with Australia.

The Australian Broadcasting Corp reported that an Indonesian official had said Jakarta had been taken by surprise by the announcement, which could harm bilateral trade negotiations.

When Mr Morrison became prime minister in August, he made his first overseas trip to Indonesia, a near-neighbour that is the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation.

Mr Morrison and Indonesian president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo planned to sign an agreement this year aimed at boosting trade and investment.

The Australian leader told parliament that he had briefed Mr Jokowi overnight about the announcement.

“I’ve been pleased to be able to explain very clearly the nature of the announcements that I’ve made today and I’ve been very pleased with the response that I’ve received from President Joko Widodo,” Mr Morrison said.

“We’ll continue to work closely and cooperatively with our allies and with our partners all around the world on these issues.”

The opposition centre-left Labour Party said the announcement was a desperate attempt to win the by-election in the Wentworth electorate.

MP Penny Wong said: “The people of Wentworth, and all Australians, deserve a leader who puts the national interest ahead of his self-interest, and governs in the best long-term interest of the nation.”
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces that his government is considering recognising Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and relocating its embassy accordingly, in line with the United States, drawing local criticism and sparking outrage from members of the opposition. The announcement comes days before a by-election in which the governing party's candidate is Dave Sharma, a former ambassador to Israel.