In another blow to Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, Australia followed the U.S. in recognizing West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. When 72-year-old President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem Dec. 6, 2017 as Israel’s capital, Palestinians started rioting in the streets, amassing wild street protests on the Israeli-Gaza border. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was a more specific than Trump recognizing “West” Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, something so obvious for the last 70 years it needs very little explanation. Israel has been hosting its parliament or Knesset meeting from West Jerusalem since 1949, something that hasn’t changed no matter how many wars against the Jewish State. Morrison’s decision, like Trump’s back in Dec. 6, 2017, was actually a way to recognize a future Palestinian state with its capital, East Jerusalem. No one thinks that Israel wants East Jerusalem’s Arab quarter as its capital.
Australia’s decision hopes to light a fire under Hamas and Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority to reconcile differences and begin negotiating with Israel on a two-state solution. Despite telling the Gaza population daily that they expect to conquer Israel, Palestinians know that Israel is too technologically advanced conquer no or in the future. Australia plans to open up a trade office in West Jerusalem, much like Trump let U.S. more the mbassy to existing space in West Jerusalem, drawing criticism from Palestinians, Arab States and European Union allies. Palestinian authority President Mahmoud Abbas rejected all U.S. attempts Dec. 24, 2017 to move forward with a two-state solution, morphing the past intifada or uprising into violent protest on the Israeli-Gaza border since March 30. Not a day goes by when violent Palestinian protesters try to breach the heavily fortified Israeli border.
Every death and injury from protests on the border are widely publicized by Hamas and the PA, blaming Israel for using live ammunition to disperse crowds burning tires, hurling Molotov cocktails or floating incendiary devices across the border. Australia’s recent move to recognize West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital puts Palestinians on notice that the world community has moved on, no longer willing to wait for when Palestinians are ready to go back to the peace table. “From the beginning, we’ve perceived the Australian government decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as one wherein petty domestic politics steer irresponsible policies that contradict world peace and security,” said 65-year-old Palestinian official Saeb Erekat. Erekat always blames everyone but Hamas or the PA for why Palestinians find themselves isolated in today’s attempts at Mideast peace.
Australia specifically recognized West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, despite Erekat saying they recognized Jerusalem. When Erekat talks of final status talks beeping Jerusalem on the table, he’s referring to an orderly peace process that doesn’t exist today. Abbas broke off diplomatic ties with the U.S. over Trump’s attempt to move the peace process along by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Erekat used to be the late Yasser Arafat’s chief spokesman, always blaming Israel for scuttling he peace process. Palestinians have one view of the peace process: Israel must make all the concessions for a two-state solution, especially returning to the pre-1967 borders. Given security concerns on the Southern border with Hamas and Northern border with Hezbollah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can’t return to borders from over 50 years ago due to new security concerns.
Palestinians complain about Israel occupying Palestinians lands. But before the 1967 Six Day War, Palestinians held not one inch of sovereign territory. Trans-Jordan, or the land once controlled by Jordan since the Ottoman Empire was broken up after WW I in 1918, included the West Bank and East Jerusalem. When Jordan joined the Six Day War, with Palestinians, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, they lost the territory to Israel. Egypt lost the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula in the Six Day War and Syria forfeited the Golan Heights. Neither Jordan nor Syria expects Israel to return the spoils of the Six Day War. Only Palestinians claim that Israel occupies its land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, when in fact the land was sovereign territory of Jordan. Australia’s move to recognize only West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is a concession to Palestinians negotiating for East Jerusalem as its capital.
Old school Palestinians like Erekat can only complain and point fingers when they know their government in the West Bank led by Abbas has abandoned the peace process with Israel. “All of Jerusalem remains a final status issue for negotiations, while east Jerusalem, under international law, is an integral part of the occupied Palestinians territories,” said Erekat. Erekat never complained before the 1967 war that Jordan or Egypt occupied Palestinian territories. Only after Israeli annexed the territories after the 1967 War did Palestinians claim the land as “occupied.” Instead of getting back to the peace table, Abbas and Erekat prefer let poor Palestinians sacrifice their live protesting on the Israeli-Gaza border. “Australia now recognizes West Jerusalem—being the seat of the Knesset and many of the institutions of government—is the capital of Israel,” said Morrison in Sidney.
