[IsraelTimes] Australia's decision to stop referring to East Jerusalem as "occupied" territory and to adopt additional similar steps that will likely please Israel and anger the Paleostinians came as a retaliatory measure against Paleostinian officials who in recent months repeatedly and ferociously attacked Canberra's Middle East policies in public, The Times of Israel has learned."The Australian government is irritated by how the Paleostinians have chosen to pursue their disagreements with us in public," a senior Australian source told The Times of Israel Thursday. "This is the kind of behavior you'd expect from the leaders of a student union but not from a government-in-waiting."
On Wednesday, Australia's Attorney General George Brandis offered an explanation of Foreign Minister Julie Bishop's position that using the word "occupied" is judgmental and does not contribute to dialogue about the contested area.