Arab League slams Australia's recognition of West Jerusalem as Israeli capital

The Cairo-based Arab League (AL) condemned in a statement on Saturday Australia's recent decision to recognize West Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

"The decision is a dangerous violation of the international legal status of the city of Jerusalem and the relevant legitimacy resolutions," Saeed Abu Ali, AL assistant secretary general for the occupied Palestinian and Arab lands, said in the statement.

Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, announced earlier on Saturday his country's official recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, amid rejection of domestic opposition as well as Arab and Muslim condemnation.

"The decision shows blatant bias toward the positions and policies of the Israeli occupation and encouragement of its practices and constant aggression," Abu Ali said.

However, Morrison also announced his support for a future Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, reassuring that the Australian embassy will remain in Tel Aviv until the status of Jerusalem is determined under a peace deal between Israel and Palestine.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been going on since the Western-backed creation of Israel by occupying Palestinian territories in 1948.

The deadlock of the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis is largely attributed to the debatable status of Jerusalem, the issue of the Palestinian refugees and Israel's settlement expansion policy that has always been rejected even by its strongest ally, the United States.