The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Tuesday welcomed Australia’s decision to reverse its recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry reiterated the Kingdom’s “unwavering support” for the Palestinian people.
Saudi Arabia “supports the Palestinian people’s aspirations to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the international law and the Arab Peace Initiative,” read the ministry’s statement.
#بيان | تعبر وزارة الخارجية عن ترحيب المملكة العربية السعودية بإعلان الحكومة الأسترالية إلغاء اعترافها بالقدس الغربية عاصمةً لإسرائيل pic.twitter.com/qGAE1qfxDq
— وزارة الخارجية 🇸🇦 (@KSAMOFA) October 19, 2022
The Kingdom also urged international efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue.
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In a statement, the Jeddah-based OIC also hailed Australia’s “commitment to the two-state solution”, adding that the Australian move “aligns with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.”
The pan-Islamic organisation called on all States that recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital “to reverse their stances against international legitimacy.”
Australian Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, said Tuesday that his country had reversed its recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
READ: Australia quietly deletes recognition of Jerusalem as Israel capital from govt website
In 2018, then-Prime Minister, Scott Morrison’s government said it would recognise West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital but would not move its embassy from Tel Aviv until a peace settlement is reached.
The Australian move won plaudits from the Palestinian Authority, which rules the West Bank, and Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.
Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping East Jerusalem, now occupied by Israel, might eventually serve as the capital of a future Palestinian State.
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