RAMALLAH, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has officially asked Australia on Sunday to clarify the declaration of Australia's Attorney General that considered east Jerusalem as an "unoccupied" area.
Reyad al-Malki, the PNA minister of foreign affairs in the unity government told a news conference in Ramallah that his ministry summoned Australian ambassador to the PNA Thomas Wilson to hand him a letter of protest.
"We asked the Australian ambassador to present a clarification to the Australian Attorney General George Brandeis for declaring that Australia doesn't consider east Jerusalem as occupied area," said al-Malki.
In June 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which were under the rule of Jordan and occupied the Gaza Strip, which was under the rule of Egypt and still occupies the Golan Heights, which is part of Syria.
"The PNA expresses deep concerns after the declaration of the Australian attorney general, which contradicts with the international resolutions that consider east Jerusalem an occupied Palestinian territory," said al-Malki.
He unveiled that the PNA intends to apply to the Arab League to study the new Australian position.
Australian Attorney General said in a statement published on Wednesday after the Australian Senate's meeting that east Jerusalem is not occupied because it is part of a peace negotiations process.
The international community doesn't recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel. The Palestinians want the eastern part of the city to be the capital of their future state, which Israel says undivided Jerusalem is its eternal capital.
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