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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) with his Foreign Minister Penny Wong
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Luke Coch / AP
Australia revokes recognition of West Jerusalem as Israeli capital.
This was announced by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Canberra on Tuesday.
The final status of Jerusalem must be decided as part of the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
"We do not support any action that undermines that perspective," Wong said.
The Australian embassy has always been in Tel Aviv and will remain there, the statement continues.
Australia stands by a two-state solution in which Israel and a future Palestinian state co-exist "in peace and security."
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is changing the course of his conservative predecessor Scott Morrison.
In December 2018, he recognized West Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, but left the embassy in Tel Aviv.
In addition, he had pledged to recognize a future Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital - if a lasting two-state solution was achieved.
Palestinian representatives had sharply criticized the decision at the time.
Israel's Foreign Ministry had spoken of "a step in the right direction."
Earlier in 2017, under then-President Donald Trump, the United States recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The relocation of the US embassy was a historic step for the Israelis - and an affront for the Palestinians.
Israel occupied the eastern part of Jerusalem in 1967 in the Six Day War, later annexed it and declared the entire city its "eternal and indivisible capital".
The Palestinians lay claim to East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Most states do not have their embassies in Jerusalem, so as not to prejudge the possible outcome of peace negotiations.
The final status of Jerusalem is one of the biggest bones of contention in the Middle East conflict.
aar/dpa/AFP