Jordan summons Australian envoy over Jerusalem move

By JT - Jun 09,2014 - Last updated at Jun 09,2014

AMMAN — Jordan on Monday expressed concern over an Australian government decision to stop using the term “occupied” when referring to East Jerusalem.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sabah Al Rafie said the ministry summoned Australia’s Chargé d’affaires John Feakes and informed him of the government’s “concern” over the move, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The ministry told the diplomat that the decision comes in violation of international laws and conventions that label East Jerusalem as an integral part of the Palestinian territories occupied and illegally annexed in June 1967.

The ministry highlighted Australia’s decades-long relationship with the Arab and Muslim world, stressing the Hashemites’ role as custodians of Islamic and Christian sites in Jerusalem.

Last week, Australian Attorney General George Brandis said Canberra would not use “judgemental language” to describe an area which was the subject of negotiations.

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