PLO on Australia and Jerusalem

In a letter to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Dr. Ashrawi calls on the Australian government to respect its international obligations, refrain from changing its policy on Jerusalem

PLO Executive Committee Member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi expressed the Palestinian leadership's grave concern about a possible shift in Australia’s foreign policy and reports that the Australian government may recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in the near future.

In a letter to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Dr. Ashrawi called on him to ensure Australia's strict adherence to its obligations under international law and advised against any violation of or deviation from relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

In her correspondence to Prime Minister Morrison, Dr. Ashrawi called on the Australian government to reconsider such a move, affirming that violating the legal status of Jerusalem "would be unilateral, illegal, and would jeopardize the chances for peace.” She warned that such a step would be a provocation that threatens to further destabilize the region.

She also stressed that a potential change in Australia’s foreign policy position would constitute a departure from the global rule of law and undermine its standing and economic interests worldwide.

In response to media inquiries concerning possible Australian moves regarding Jerusalem, Dr. Ashrawi said, “The only way to resolve the issue of Jerusalem would be to recognize the State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital in line with international law.”

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