Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman commended the Australian government on Thursday for showing "integrity and decency regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
The Palestinians, however, were not pleased with the Australian government's refusal to call east Jerusalem "occupied" on Thursday, accusing Australia of adopting a radical pro-Israel stand.
On Thursday morning, Australian Attorney-General George Brandis said it was ''unhelpful'' to the Middle East peace process to bring up ''historical events."
The announcement came on the heels of a hearing late Wednesday night in which, under questioning from opposition and crossbench senators, Brandis repeatedly refused to say whether east Jerusalem was ''occupied'' by Israel, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
''The description of east Jerusalem as 'Occupied East Jerusalem' is a term freighted with pejorative implications, which is neither appropriate nor useful,'' Brandis said.
Lieberman lauded Brandis' stance as a "serious approach to the issue," adding that the former's remarks were "free of populism or efforts to kiss up to extreme Islamists, who terrorize anyone who dares tell the truth about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
"The territories [in question] have been part of Jewish history for thousands of years and were never a part of any Palestinian state, which never actually existed," Lieberman went on to say.
Lieberman concluded with the hope that "additional countries will find the integrity and courage shown by the government of Australia."
Senior Palestinian official Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, however, described the move as "embarrassing."
"It is appalling that on the day we mark the 47th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, the Australian attorney-general makes such an irresponsible remark. Such a declaration not only blatantly violates international law and runs contrary to the international consensus but also undermines any chance of peace and poisons any attempt to abide by the law."
The Sydney Morning Herald quoted a statement issued by Izzat Abdulhadi, chairman of the General Delegation of Palestine, which provides Palestinian diplomatic representation in Australia, saying that ''this statement is really outrageous. East Jerusalem is an integral part of the occupied territories and that has been recognized by the U.N. and under international law.''
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