Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC, issued the following statement:
“The ADC has consistently urged the international community to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and as such, President Trump’s historic recognition and decision to begin steps to relocate the U.S. embassy there should be warmly welcomed. It is a long and overdue implementation of the bi-partisan Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 that declared that Jerusalem “should remain an undivided city,” and the United States Embassy in Israel should be located there. For 3000 years, Jerusalem has been the centre of Jewish life and identity with a continuous Jewish presence there, and President Trump has rightly acknowledged and affirmed this undeniable reality. Over and over, UN agencies have exploited this absurd and wilful refusal to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital to de-legitimize the Jewish state by passing resolutions that erased Jewish links to the city. It is important to stress that this announcement should not adversely impact any final status agreement that will ensue from future peace negotiations, between Israelis and Palestinians for a two state solution, and does dilute in any way the religious affinity of other faiths to the city. It is about time that Israel is accorded the same respect given to any other country to designate its own capital, and we hope that other nations will follow suit, including Australia, and move their embassies there.”
For further information please contact Dr Dvir Abramovich on 9272 5677.