Australia Drops Term 'Occupied' for Jerusalem

(INN) The Australian government has dropped the usage of the term "occupied" when referring to Jewish neighborhoods in parts of Jerusalem claimed by the Palestinian Authority, in what could signal a significant shift in the country's Middle East policy. [...]

"The description of East Jerusalem as 'Occupied East Jerusalem' is a term freighted with pejorative implications, which is neither appropriate nor useful."

Those comments came after Brandis irked some legislators the previous evening by refusing to define "East Jerusalem" as "occupied, claiming that no Australian government "acknowledges or accepts" the use of the term - despite Canberra's support of several past UN resolutions which had indeed used such language.

Thursday's clarification was drafted in consultation with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and her departmental head Peter Varghese, according to the Herald.

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