Arab ambassadors protest after Australian representative's remarks on Jerusalem

Arab ambassadors in Australia will send a letter of protest to the Australian Under Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tomorrow following statements made by the Australian Attorney-General George Brandis before the Senate urging them to stop referring to East Jerusalem as an “occupied territory”.

According to diplomatic sources, Arab ambassadors yesterday held the first emergency meeting in the Australian capital Canberra to discuss the attorney general’s remarks and stressed on the need to launch an awareness campaign of the political and legal aspects of the Palestinian cause and to mobilise Australian public opinion to support international legitimacy.

The Arab ambassadors said the Attorney General’s statements contradict all international resolutions and the international community’s position on Jerusalem that recognise Palestine as a state under occupation, which was approved by the United Nations and all its institutions.

The ambassadors demanded the Australian Government and its foreign ministry to provide an official explanation of the stated position on Jerusalem in the coming days.