Former Australian PM warns of Indonesia reaction to Israel embassy move
Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has warned the government to expect a negative reaction from Indonesia if Australia follows the United States by shifting its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Turnbull spoke to reporters after meeting Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on the tourist island of Bali on Monday to discuss a bilateral free trade deal.
"The president expressed to me ... the very serious concern held in Indonesia about the prospect of the Australian Embassy in Israel being moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," Turnbull told Australian Broadcasting Corp. in an interview aired on Tuesday. "There's no question that were that move to occur, it would be met with a very negative reaction in Indonesia."
"This is after all the largest ... majority-Muslim country in the world, so we have to be very clear-eyed about that and we have to take into account Australia's national interest and our interests in the region when we ... consider decisions like this," he added.
