Australia’s representative is summoned to the Palestinian foreign ministry following Canberra’s refusal to refer to East al-Quds (Jerusalem) as "occupied."
On Sunday, the Palestinian foreign ministry in the West Bank summoned Australia's diplomatic representative over recent remarks made by the country’s attorney general.
Thomas Wilson was summoned over George Brandis’ recent remarks that Canberra would no longer refer to the annexed al-Quds as occupied.
The Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki has demanded an official explanation from Canberra and wants to know its stance on East al-Quds.
"The Palestinian foreign ministry summoned the Australian representative Thomas Wilson over the recent comments by the Australian attorney general asking to stop referring to east Jerusalem as occupied territories," the Palestinian foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Palestinian top diplomat says such statements clearly breach the position of the international community. He added that according to the UN, Palestine is a state with its capital under occupation.
"Palestine is a state and its capital is under occupation, something that the United Nations and all its bodies" have agreed upon, Malki said.
Israel seized al-Quds during the Six-Day War in 1967 and later annexed it. The move has never been recognized by the international community.
Over the past decades, Israel has tried to change the demographic makeup of al-Quds by constructing illegal settlements, destroying historical sites, and expelling the local Palestinian population.
Over half a million Israelis live in over 120 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds. The international community considers the settlements as illegal.
