Australia reinstates the use of 'Occupied Palestinian Territories'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Website
8 Aug 2023 18:48

Penny Wong has announced that the government will recognize Palestinian areas occupied post-1967 by "Israel" according to their status under international law.

Bill Shorten, then-leader of Australia's Labor Party (C) introduces then-Labor Senator Penny Wong (L) to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) during their meeting in Sydney, Australia, on February 24, 2017 (AFP)

The Australian government has decided to reintroduce the term "Occupied Palestinian Territories" when referring to the occupied West Bank in Palestine, ahead of the upcoming Labor Party's national conference next week.

"The Australian government is strengthening its opposition to settlements by affirming they are illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace," Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong says.

Moreover, it is expected that certain members of the Australian Labor Party will raise additional questions about Australia's stance on Palestinian statehood, urging the government to take further steps in recognizing Palestine's right to statehood.

"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," the minister of foreign affairs clarified.

Wong said the reinstated terms follow UN security council resolutions that are also accepted by "key partners including the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and the European Union."

In fact, as per Wong's statements, despite the reinstatement of the said terminology, it does not seem that the Labor Party will take any further steps to enhance the position of Palestine and the Palestinian people in the international community,

Since 2014, Australian government officials have largely refrained from using the terms "occupied" or "occupation" when referring to the Palestinian Territories, despite continuing support for relevant United Nations resolutions.

This shift in language began during the early tenure of the former Coalition government. In 2014, then-Attorney General George Brandis argued against describing "East Jerusalem" as "occupied", claiming that the term carried negative connotations and did not further the peace process.

'Occupied Palestinian Territories' for Palestine, committed friendship to 'Israel'

The top Australian diplomat said the government had engaged with the Israeli ambassador on the issue reaffirming that it is a "committed friend of Israel." This raises question marks regarding the intent of the Australian government and other Western administrations, including that of the United States.

She added that the government will continue to condemn "all forms of terrorism and violence against civilians," indicating that Australia will continue to deny Palestinians their right to resist the occupation of their land and label their fight for freedom as "terrorism".

The two previous Labor national conferences in 2018 and 2021 called upon "the next Labor government to recognize Palestine as a state," however, no progress has been made on that front.

Moreover, Wong refused to commit to a timeframe outlining the process of recognizing the state of Palestine, which is yet another sign of Australia's inability to actually move against the normative Western policies in regard to "Israel".