Egypt welcomes Australia’s decision to reinstate using 'Occupied Palestinian territories' language

Ahram Online , Wednesday 9 Aug 2023

Egypt has welcomed the Australian government announcement that Canberra would officially resume using the term “Occupied Palestinian Territories” when referring to East Jerusalem and other land occupied by Israel in 1967 and the term “illegal” when referring to Israeli settlements.

File photo: Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong speaks in Jakarta, Indonesia, July 13, 2023. AP

“(It is) a positive step in respecting international legitimacy and protecting Palestinian rights,” said Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid in a tweet on Wednesday in English and Arabic.

We welcome the Australian Foreign Minister announcement of 🇦🇺 resuming the use of term “Occupied Palestinian Territories including East Jerusalem” & “Illegal” to the Israeli Settlements… A positive step in respecting int’l legitimacy & protecting Palestinian rights @pmofa @dfat pic.twitter.com/OMKz9REENj
— Egypt MFA Spokesperson (@MfaEgypt) August 9, 2023

On Tuesday, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told the Australian Parliament that her government would reinstate the use of “Occupied Palestinian territories” in reference to “East Jerusalem” and other territories occupied by Israeli in 1967 as well as referring to Israeli settlements as "illegal."

The Australian government stopped using the term “occupied Palestinian territories” in 2014.

Egypt has been long supporting the establishment of a Palestinian independent state on the borders of 4 June 1967 with its capital in East Jerusalem as the basis for a just solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.