Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi spoke to SBS Arabic24 on Sunday, saying the move could be "hugely risky" to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and accused the prime minister of copying US President Donald Trump.
“The prime minister ought to listen to the community and basically rethink his decision and his plan and make sure that we are, as Australians, committed to the peace process in the Middle East, committed to justice for Palestinians, committed to a free Palestine,” Ms Faruqi said while attending a Sydney protest against Mr Morrison’s comments.
“It is absolutely important that Australia is committed 100 per cent to the peace process in the Middle East.
"What Scott Morrison was trying to do was to be a mini Trump."
Ms Faruqi’s comments come as former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday warned that an embassy move could result in a "very negative reaction" from Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.
The government raised the prospect of shifting the embassy during the final week of campaigning in the Wentworth by-election, where more than 12 per cent of voters are Jewish.
Protesters in 'Hands Off Jerusalem' protest in Town Hall, Sydney. Source: SBS Arabic24
Postal votes were still being counted for the by-election, but Independent candidate Kerryn Phelps remained ahead of Liberal candidate Dave Sharma.
Ms Faruqi said Mr Morrison’s statement before the by-election “completely backfired on him”.
“Scott Morrison and his government were desperate to win Wentworth after the disgraceful affair that happened within Parliament,” she said.
“What we need to do is move the peace process forward, not put barriers. Even thinking about moving the embassy becomes a barrier and risks that peace process."
The Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council endorsed any consideration to relocating the embassy, saying it would be a step towards restarting peace process negotiations in the decades-long conflict.
Protester Anna Ninnis holds up a banner at the Sydney protest Source: SBS Arabic24
“Is it the right thing to do? Now if it is the right thing to do then you would say OK it may have implications for how people vote, but it is not done for the purpose of winning votes, it is done because it is right,” spokesman Jeremy Jones told SBS News on October 21.
Mr Jones said while there was a diversity of opinion within the Jewish community, there was broad consensus in the political centre for relocating the Australian embassy to Jerusalem as an olive branch to restart the peace process.
Palestinian children play at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem. Source: AAP
“When we come down to the situation relating to the Middle East, within the Jewish community there would be a very broad centre - they want an Israel that exists within safe, secure boundaries,” he said.
“But we don't want a situation where Palestinians or anybody else has to suffer unnecessarily for that to be met. And therefore, as many aspirations for as many people as possible are a consideration.
“We're not only concerned with our interests.”
Sunday’s protest was organised by the Palestine Action Group Sydney and called for the government to rethink the embassy move.
