Senator Malcolm Roberts – speaking in response to Senator Birmingham’s motion regarding Jerusalem, supported the right of Israel to decide on Jerusalem as its capital

Photo of Senator Malcolm Roberts
October 25, 2022

One Nation considers it the responsibility of the Israeli government to decide the location of Israel’s capital city, not the Australian government. Israel selected Jerusalem. One Nation approved the former government’s recognition of this fact and the decision to relocate Australia’s embassy there.

Full speech

Senator ROBERTS (Queensland) (16:25): One Nation considers it the responsibility of the Israeli government to decide the location of Israel’s capital city, not the Australian government. Israel selected Jerusalem. One Nation approved the former government’s recognition of this fact and the decision to relocate Australia’s embassy there. The Albanese government’s decision is like Germany declaring Brisbane or Perth the capital of Australia instead of Canberra. It’s confusing and clumsy. We’re critical of the government’s decision to switch Australia’s embassy in Israel back to Tel Aviv. Is this an entirely political decision to pacify Labor’s radical left and gain Muslim votes in the coming Victorian election? Proscribed terrorist organisations like Hamas have already praised the government for this decision to change recognition of the Israeli capital. That the Israeli government was not even informed ahead of time is further indictment of the Albanese government’s decision. One Nation considers the decision to be the Prime Minister’s clumsy mistake and calls on him to reverse it and again recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Link to parliamentary Hansard