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(CNN) --
The Australian government has reversed its predecessor's decision to recognize West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, drawing a rebuke from the Israeli government.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong reaffirmed Canberra's "previous and longstanding position" on Israel at a briefing on Tuesday, emphasizing the new Labor government's unwavering support for both Israel and the Palestinian people.
"Australia is committed to a two-state solution in which Israel and a future State of Palestine coexist, in peace and security, within internationally recognized borders," Wong said.
"We will not support an approach that undermines this perspective."
The previous government, led by former Coalition Prime Minister Scott Morrison, recognized West Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2018, following an announcement by then-US President Donald Trump.
In 2017, Trump turned seven decades of US foreign policy on its head by declaring that the United States considered Jerusalem the capital of Israel.
The following year, the United States moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
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The previous Australian Coalition government planned to move the Australian Embassy to West Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Australia's decision to return to its previous position on Tuesday was a "hasty response to an incorrect media report."
"In light of the way this decision was made in Australia, as a hasty response to an incorrect media report, we can only hope that other matters will be handled more seriously and professionally by the Australian government," Lapid said in a statement. statement, without going into detail about the "incorrect report."
The Israeli Foreign Ministry also summoned Australia's ambassador to Israel.
The recognition of Jerusalem
Prior to Trump's announcement, successive US leaders had resisted making any proclamations on the issue before the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was resolved.
Trump's decision drew condemnation from world leaders and shocked the Muslim world.
Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem, the holy city, as their capital.
Morrison's decision to follow Trump's lead also sparked outrage, with Wong apologizing for the anguish caused on Tuesday.
"I am sorry that Mr. Morrison's decision to play politics has resulted in Australia changing its position and the distress these changes have caused many people in the Australian community who care deeply about this issue," Wong said.
The division of Jerusalem into East and West dates back to the 1949 armistice agreement that ended fighting between Israel and Arab powers and left the city divided.
West Jerusalem was in the hands of Israel and East Jerusalem controlled by Jordan.
A 1947 United Nations plan to divide Palestine into two, creating a Jewish state and an Arab state, had envisioned Jerusalem as an internationally administered "corpus separatum" apart from the two states.
In 1967, Israel captured East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War.
He expanded the municipal boundaries of the city and declared the entire city to be the unified capital of Israel.
Until Trump's announcement, the international community was largely united in not formally acknowledging Israel's position, stating instead that only a negotiated settlement between the two sides could determine the final status of the city.
The city is home to deeply holy sites for Jews, Muslims, and Christians.
The issue has been so thorny that Israeli-Palestinian negotiations had left the Jerusalem issue for the final stages of any peace agreement.
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