CANBERRA, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday that he is "open" to following the United States by moving the country's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Morrison credited the idea to Dave Sharma, the governing Liberal Party's candidate in Saturday's Wentworth by-election and former ambassador to Israel.
Morrison dismissed suggestions that the announcement was influenced by his faith or by Saturday's crucial by-election in Wentworth, in which the Liberal-National Coalition could lose its governing majority.
The opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) said it would oppose the proposal in the immediate aftermath of Morrison's announcement.
Penny Wong, the ALP's spokesperson on foreign affairs, described the announcement as "dangerous and deceitful word games."
"Foreign policy and Australia's national interest are far too important to be played with in this fashion," Wong said in a statement.
"Scott Morrison is now so desperate to hang on to his job, he is prepared to say if he thinks it will win him a few more votes - even at the cost of Australia's national interest."
