Australia recognizes term 'occupied Palestinian Territories' for West Bank
Australia remains a committed ally to Israel, yet Canberra classifies Israeli settlements as illegal and a violation of international law
Australia's government officially returned to using the term "occupied Palestinian Territories" to describe the West Bank, while viewing Israeli settlements as illegitimate and a violation of International law, according to remarks made by Canberra's Foreign Minister Penny Wong on 8 August during a parliamentary session.
The Australian government is set to strengthen its objections to Israeli settlement expansion, which contradicts international law and remains a "significant obstacle to peace" between the Palestinians and Israelis.
Wong added that Australia's adoption of the term "occupied Palestinian Territories," would align Canberra with the terminology used by Australia's close allies and the UN.
Wong explained, "Australia is … returning to the term Occupied Palestinian Territories and the point I'd make is that it is consistent with UN Security Council resolutions," as well as being consistent with the approach taken by New Zealand, the UK, and the EU. The foreign minister added that past Australian foreign ministers and governmental officials have also used the term.
“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,” she explained further.
However, Wong indicated the Canberra would remain "a committed friend of Israel" when discussing the matter with the Israeli ambassador.
Since 2014, Australian authorities had refrained from describing the West Bank as “occupied.”
The Palestinian Authority (PA) Foreign Ministry praised Canberra's decision to make the change, claiming the people of Australia support the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to achieve statehood.
This development comes a few days after Israeli Reserve Colonel Kobi Merom claimed that the government had greenlit settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The colonel was referring to the killing of a 19-year-old Palestinian, Qusai Jamal Matan, by extremist settlers east of Ramallah on 4 August.
In addition, Israeli authorities approved nearly 5,700 new settlement units in the West Bank in June, as the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed ahead with its illegal settlement expansion.