Islamabad: The State of Palestine has welcomed the assertion of the Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong that Jerusalem is a final status issue that must be resolved through negotiations between Palestine and Israel.
In a statement, Palestinian Embassy in Pakistan said that reversing previous Australian Government’s recognition of West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is a step in the right direction toward the effective implementation of the two-state solution and the achievement of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
The Embassy statement said that it should be noted in this context that East Jerusalem is an inseparable part of the occupied Palestinian territories, and Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem in 1980 on the pretext that Jerusalem is “complete and united” as its capital is a flagrant violation of international law and has been condemned.
It further said we hope that the current Australian government will recognize the State of Palestine without further delay to salvage the two-state solution, in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions.
