March 30, 2007

NCCAR dismayed by the Government's rejectionist attitude towards the Palestinian  Unity Government

OTTAWA , March 30 th , 2007 – The National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR) is dismayed by the Canadian Government's unchanged policy towards the new Palestinian Government. Its refusal to meet with the Minister of Information, Mustafa Barghouti, an independent, who was in Ottawa this past week, indicates a lack of understanding of recent developments in the Middle East , overlooking the Mecca Agreement and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.

" T he EU and the US have already met with non-Hamas Palestinian ministers, and may lift the crippling embargo if the actions of the unity government are consistent with the unity platform. They have thus addressed pragmatically the ethical and moral aspects of the boycott. Canada 's position is therefore untenable ," stressed NCCAR President, Bahija Réghaï .

NCCAR urges that the Government review its current policy to take account, as many States have done, that the Palestinian unity platform represents a move towards peace: it states explicitly that the government is committed to all the agreements signed by the PLO with Israel, that it will respect all UN resolutions and international law, and that the ceasefire in Gaza will be continued and extended to the West bank.

Canada must therefore support not only “the peace process” as  Foreign Minister  Peter MacKay stated to the House of Commons on March 29 , but peace itself by joining the international consensus and dealing directly with the new Palestinian government.

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NCCAR Communications Coordinator: Wassim Garzouzi, (613) 238-3795, wassim@nccar.ca

NCCAR is a not-for-profit dedicated to building bridges of understanding and cooperation between Canada and the Arab world . www.nccar.ca