VOA慢速英语2019--特朗普宣布“中东和平计划”

American President Donald Trump¹ has presented his plan to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Talks between the two sides halted almost six years ago.

The Trump plan calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state. That is a main issue Palestinian leaders have long called for: a "two-state" answer to the conflict.

However, Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called Trump's Middle East peace deal a "conspiracy²" that "will not pass."

The 50-page political document expands on an earlier 30-page economic plan for the West Bank and Gaza Strip released last June. It calls for $50 billion in international investment in the Palestinian territories and neighboring Arab areas.

Trump announced the plan at the White House Tuesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood with the American leader as he spoke³.

Trump noted⁴ that he has done a lot for Israel. But, he said, he wants the plan to be a, in his words,"great deal for the Palestinians." He called it an "historic opportunity" for Palestinians to gain an independent state. He said the plan would permit a Palestinian capital in parts of East Jerusalem.

Trump administration officials said the plan greatly increases territory under Palestinian control. It also recognizes Israeli control over large settlements in the West Bank, a proposal that many Palestinians will likely oppose.

Palestinian leaders say they were not invited to attend the announcement. Many have rejected Trump's approach to the conflict. They argue that his policies support only Israel.

Trump met separately Monday with Netanyahu and his main political opponent Benny Gantz. After, Netanyahu said there is a chance to "make history and define Israel's borders."

Gantz also praised the peace plan as "historic." He said he looks forward to putting it into effect if he becomes Israel's next prime minister after elections in March.

The Trump administration has been working on a peace plan since it took office in 2017. The president said he delayed presenting it because of what he says is political uncertainty⁵ in Israel.

But some Palestinian leaders have refused to work with the U.S. They dismissed the peace plan even before it was publicly released. Many Palestinians are angry with Trump for recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the U.S. embassy there. Palestinian negotiators want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

They are also angry about U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's statements about Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said the plan was no more than a way to, in his words, "finish off the Palestinian cause."

Shtayyeh said, "We reject it and we demand the international community not be a partner to it because it contradicts the basics of international law and inalienable Palestinian rights."

Words in This Story

opportunity - n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done: a chance

approach - n. a way of dealing⁶ with something: a way of doing or thinking about something

uncertainty - n. something that is doubtful or unknown: something that is uncertain — usually plural⁷

contradict - v. to say the opposite of (something that someone else has said) : to deny the truth of (something)

inalienable - adj. impossible to take away or give up

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

6 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

7 plural   

n.复数；复数形式；adj.复数的

参考例句：

• Most plural nouns in English end in's '.英语的复数名词多以s结尾。
• Here you should use plural pronoun.这里你应该用复数代词。