Ottawa, August 17, 2005 – The National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR welcomes Israel's evacuation of illegal colonies in the Occupied Gaza Strip as a first step to Israel withdrawing its troops from all occupied Palestinian land.

“This is certainly a first step in the right direction and is long overdue,” said NCCAR President Hussein Amery. “However, it would be irresponsible to overlook the fact that the area being evacuated is but a fraction of the land Israel continues to occupy and that it will maintain military control over the area. For the evacuation to be a model of success, Israel will have to ensure that Palestinians regain control over their lives and their economy,” Amery added.

While the world focuses on Gaza in the coming weeks, NCCAR reminds the international community of the ongoing construction of illegal settlements in the much-larger West Bank, the destruction of Arab homes in East Jerusalem and the building of a wall through East Jerusalem and on other Palestinian land, which are all clear attempts at a land grab and indicate that Israel is not serious about achieving a negotiated, just and lasting peace.