REACTION TO AUSTRALIA'S DECISION ON WEST JERUSALEM:
* Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel's minister for regional co-operation and a Netanyahu confidant in the right-wing Likud party: "To our regret, within this positive news they made a mistake.
"There is no division between the east of the city and west of the city. Jerusalem is one whole, united. Israel's control over it is eternal. Our sovereignty will not be partitioned nor undermined. And we hope Australia will soon find the way to fix the mistake it made."
* Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said the move was born of Australian "petty domestic politics".
"All of Jerusalem remains a final-status issue for negotiations, while East Jerusalem, under international law, is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory."
* The Arab League issued a statement criticising the Australian decision as "blatantly biased towards the positions and policies of the Israeli occupation".
"Recognising West Jerusalem as Israel's capital while ignoring recognition of East Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Palestine shows glaring bias towards Israel," Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit said.
"The Australian position is incomplete Therefore, it stirs our dismay."
* Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad: "Jerusalem should remain as it is now and not the capital of Israel.
"Jerusalem has always been under Palestine, so why are they taking the initiative to divide Jerusalem not belonging to them, but to divide the Arabs and the Jews? They have no rights."
* Bahraini minister Sheikh Khalid: "Australia's stance does not impact the legitimate Palestinian demands, first among them being East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, and it does not contradict the Arab Peace Initiative," he tweeted.
Khalid has previously said Israel had the right to defend itself against Shi'ite Muslim Iran, which Bahrain blames for stoking unrest in the Sunni-ruled island state. Iran denies interfering in Bahrain.
