How Israel’s calls for countries to move their embassies boomeranged
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes the hand of a student during a visit the Moriah War Memorial College in Sydney
Raphael Ahren writes in The Times of Israel:
Canberra’s recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on Saturday can best be seen as the return flight of a boomerang — a tool that likely originated among Australian Aborigine hunters. Indeed, there is hardly a better metaphor to illustrate how the zest with which the Jewish state and its supporters urged the world to follow Washington’s move last year has backfired.
While Australian Zionists celebrated the decision as “historic,” a recognition of only West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital may after all be detrimental to the Jewish state’s efforts to secure the international community’s support for Israeli sovereignty over the entire city.
Both US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison defied much domestic pressure and the international consensus when they made their announcements about the status of Jerusalem. Both said that, ultimately, the borders of the city need to be determined in future negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.And yet, the two declarations are dramatically different. One was frantically welcomed by Israel, the other was politely rejected.