From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Australia says it will resume using the term ‘Occupied Palestinian Territories’
The Labor-led Australian government says it will resume use of the term “Occupied Palestinian Territories,” which had been largely abandoned by the previous governments led by the Liberal Party.
“The Australian government is strengthening its opposition to settlements by affirming they are illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong says.
Noting this is in line with allies including the European Union and the UK, Wong says: “In adopting the term we are clarifying that the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, were occupied by Israel following the 1967 war and that the occupation continues and reaffirms our commitment to negotiate a two-state solution in which Israel and a future Palestinian state coexist.”
The Times of Israel Community.