A Palestinian minister criticized Israel Wednesday for trying to hold onto Jerusalem by evacuating the Gaza Strip, the Cairo-based radio Voice of the Arabs said.

Palestinian Minister of Public Works and Housing Mohamed Atshe said Israel's anticipated withdrawal from Gaza expressed its ulterior intention to exchange the tiny strip for Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as their capital for an independent state.

However, a proposed three-week delay in carrying out the pullout plan would jeopardize the already fragile mutual trust between the Palestinians and Israel, he added.

Israel plans to pull out forces and settlers from all the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank in July. But divergence within Israel has emerged over whether to postpone the process till mid- August so as not to coincide with the traditional Jewish mourning period.

The Palestinian minister also appealed to activate Arab peace initiative.

Arab leaders relaunched a 2002 peace initiative at the 17th Arab League summit in Algeria in March, which offered Israel normal relations in return for Israeli withdrawal from all occupied territories since 1967 Middle East war and the creation of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Source: Xinhua