Representatives of Arab countries will meet in Cairo tomorrow to discuss the decision of the Australian government to recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Izzat Salah Abdulhadi, the head of the Palestinian delegation to Australia, said that “the Australia situation” had been added to the agenda of the meeting at the request of the Palestinians.
“We will wait to see the discussion,” said Abdulhadi, but added “for sure it will be condemnation.”
Last week Palestinian leaders lobbied Arab and other Muslim states to drop Australian exports and withdraw their ambassadors from Canberra in the event of an embassy move to Jerusalem.
The government has delayed the more controversial embassy relocation, an idea that was first raised in October during the Wentworth byelection, in a move that was seen as an attempt to win over Jewish voters. Instead it will establish a defence and trade office in Jerusalem and start looking for an embassy site.