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Islamic Countries Threaten Sanction on Australia for Policy Change Regarding East Jerusalem

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Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat wrote a letter to Australian Foreign Minister expressing his outrage over Australia’s policy change.
Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat wrote a letter to Australian Foreign Minister expressing his outrage over Australia’s policy change.
Australian government is getting heat from Islamic diplomats after a decision to refer to East Jerusalem as “disputed territory,” instead of the more commonly accepted “occupied territory.” The diplomats from the Islamic countries have threatened Australia with trade sanctions if the policy change is not reversed.

After a meeting Wednesday June 11th, the Australian Broadcasting Company reported that delegates from 18 Islamic countries and senior Australian Department of Foreign Affairs officials, Izzat Abdulhadi, head of the General Delegation of Palestine to Australia, said, “There are a lot of exports of meat to the Arab world and now also we’re talking about the wheat.”

ABC reported that such a move would go against the efforts of Australia to expand local produce access in the Middle East.

Abdulhadi thinks, “The interest of Australia is to work with the Arab world.” According to a spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs, an “open dialogue” has been agreed to be kept by diplomats on both sides of the issue.

Palestinian Authority condemned Australia’s policy shift last week. The Palestinian Authority advised that they are weighing their response. Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat wrote in a letter to Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, that the Palestinians view this decision “in the gravest terms”. He also put forth accusations of Australia’s failure to recognize the illegality of Israel’s settlements policy.

Australia’s attorney general released a statement disclosing a drastic change in policy on Israel that been fairly constant since 1967. Last Thursday June 11th, the attorney general revealed that Australia will no longer refer to East Jerusalem as an occupied territory.

The statement said, “The description of East Jerusalem as ‘Occupied East Jerusalem’ is a term freighted with pejorative implications, which is neither appropriate nor useful.” In addition the attorney general said that Australia must not use such “judgmental language.”

Erekat’s letter combated the statement. He wrote that the term “occupation” is not a judgment but rather recognition of the “legal fact” that the Palestinian territories are occupied by Israel as affirmed by a UN resolution.

The letter says that Australia “has no interest in complying with its duty under international law not to recognize the illegal Israeli settlement regime in Palestinian territory.” Erekat views the refusal of Australia to use the term “occupation” when referencing East Jerusalem is part of a behavior pattern by Australia.

Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman praised the Australian move. He expressed the hope that other countries would have similar integrity and show the courage to follow Australia’s lead.

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