Knesset speaker: Australia’s Jerusalem recognition ‘encourages Palestinian violence’

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud) criticizes Australia’s recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, saying it “indirectly encourages Palestinian violence.”

“This sets us years back,” Edelstein tells Army Radio, a day after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s announcement, in which he also said East Jerusalem would be recognized as capital of a future Palestinian state after a solution is reached.

“For years the world tried to give the keys for a future solution to irresponsible players such as the Palestinian Authority and the PLO, and nothing came out of it,” Edelstein says.

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein during a memorial ceremony marking 19 years since the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, in the Knesset in Jerusalem, November 5, 2014 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

“Suddenly these calls reemerge to return us to the Oslo [Agreement] days,” he adds. “So I think that not only do the remarks not contribute to any kind of stability in the region — it can be said that they indirectly encourage Palestinian violence and other dreams they have.”

Canberra’s declaration has “nothing new,” Edelstein continues. “Even UNESCO has made similar announcements that West Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.

“I hope our chilly response will make it clear to the Australians that this is far from what we were hoping for.”