Australia recognises West Jerusalem as Israeli capital

December 15, 2018 — BBC News reports: “Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that his government will recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

However, he said Australia’s embassy would not move from Tel Aviv, until a peace settlement was achieved.

He added Australia also recognised the aspirations of the Palestinians to a state with a capital in East Jerusalem.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the most contested issues between Israel and the Palestinians.

Opposition Labor party leader Bill Shorten said he would reverse the decision if he won next year’s elections.

US President Donald Trump drew international criticism last year when he reversed decades of American foreign policy by recognising the ancient city as Israel’s capital. The US embassy was relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May…”  (“…when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever…And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever” – II Samuel 7:12, 16.  “I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,  Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations” – Psalms 89:3-4.  “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end”—Luke 1:32, 33.  Jerusalem is the Eternal Capital of Israel, and the Lord Jesus Christ will reign from David’s Throne in Jerusalem for ever and ever.  See the next report.)

Israel said ‘disappointed’ by Australia’s recognition of West Jerusalem only

December 15, 2018 — The Times of Israel reports: “Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday evening issued a positive yet decidedly tempered response to Australia’s decision to recognize West Jerusalem as the nation’s capital.

In a short statement, the ministry — which, due to the lack of a foreign minister, is directly under the authority of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — did not comment on the recognition itself, but called Canberra’s decision to open a defense and trade office in Jerusalem ‘a step in the right direction.’

It also welcomed Australia’s stance on ‘sanctions against Iran and its steadfast position in support of Israel at the UN and against anti-Semitism.’

Meanwhile a senior Israeli official told Hebrew media anonymously that Israel was disappointed by Australia’s decision to stress that its recognition only pertained to West Jerusalem.

‘We’re disappointed with the Australian decision… [Prime Minister Scott] Morrison only went half-way. It’s a step in the right direction, but we expected more,’ the official said…”

148 nations disavow Jewish ties to Jerusalem, Temple Mount

December 3, 2018 — The Jerusalem Post reports: “The UN General Assembly in New York on Friday approved six anti-Israel resolutions including two that ignored Jewish ties to the Temple Mount.

The primary resolution on Jerusalem, that passed 148-11 with 14 abstentions, also disavowed Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem.

Both that text and a second more global one on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which passed 156-8, with 12 abstentions, spoke of Judaism’s most holy site – The Temple Mount – solely by its Muslim name of al-Haram al-Sharif.

The votes comes as Israel is working to shore up international support for its sovereignty in Jerusalem.

A third text, which was approved 99-10 with 66 abstentions, called on Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights…”  (In Genesis 22:1-14 God commanded Abraham to bring his son Isaac to the land of Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice there.  As he was about to complete the sacrifice, God stopped him and provided a ram as a substitutionary sacrifice.  In I Chronicles 21:18 – 26, King David purchased this mount so he could build an altar to offer a sacrifice when he confessed his sin.  This was the location where the angel of the Lord was commanded to stop the destruction of Jerusalem [I Chronicles 21:15].  In II Chronicles 3:1, King Solomon built the First Temple on Mount Moriah, this was started in 966 BC.  This Temple stood until 586 BC when it was destroyed by the Babylonians.  The Second Temple was built in 516 BC and enlarged by Herod the Great in 12 BC.  It stood until it was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70.  The Dome of the Rock was built in AD 692, and the Al Aqsa Mosque was not built until AD 705.  It is obvious who has the rightful claim to the Temple Mount.)