2006年VOA标准英语-Palestinian President Swears In Hamas-Led

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
29 March 2006

The Islamic militant¹ group Hamas is officially in control of the Palestinian Authority after the group's 24-member cabinet was sworn in.  The ceremony could mark the beginning of a period of intense confrontation² between Hamas and the international community over the Hamas refusal to disarm³ and recognize Israel. 

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Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and PM Ismail Haniya, second from right, looks on as Palestinian Minister for Public Utilities, Ziad Zaza, is sworn in  
  

Hamas cabinet members put their hands on a copy of the Muslim holy book, the Koran, and swore to be loyal to the "homeland and its holy places," as they took the oath of office.  Of the 24 cabinet members, 14 have served time in Israeli jails. 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas presided over the ceremony in the Gaza Strip where Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar, and other leading members of the cabinet reside.   Because of Israeli travel restrictions⁴ on Hamas leaders, other cabinet members were sworn in by a video link from the West Bank city of Ramallah.

At a news conference, following the swearing-in ceremony, Prime Minister Haniyeh pledged to support any peace initiatives that President Abbas pursues as head of the Palestine Liberation Organization.   

 
Ismail Haniyeh waves after addressing parliament session in Gaza City
  
Haniyeh says Hamas will support any negotiations⁵ that President Abbas undertakes to ease tensions in the region and that his government will study any peace initiatives that follow what he describes as "Palestinian principles."

In brief remarks following Haniyeh, President Abbas said many differences remain between his positions and Hamas, and that Hamas knows "what is required of it, including in its dealings with Israel." 

The swearing-in ceremony came two months after Hamas won Palestinian Parliamentary elections on January 25, winning 74 seats in the 132-seat Palestinian Legislative⁶ Council, soundly defeating President Abbas' Fatah Party.  

Since then the group, which is labeled a terrorist organization by the United States, Israel, and the European Union, has stubbornly refused to budge⁷ from its position of not recognizing Israel. 

Israel has put in place measures to cut off the transfer of about $50 million a month in tax and customs revenue it normally turns over to the Palestinian Authority. 

The European Union has pledged to continue humanitarian⁸ aid, but also says it will not work with a Hamas-dominated Palestinian Authority.  The United States has ordered its diplomats⁹ and contractors¹⁰ to stop all contacts with the Palestinian Authority.  

Samir Abdullah, the director of the independent Economic Studies Institute in Ramallah, says he believes if international donors¹¹ go through with their plans to cut financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority, Hamas could be strengthened.

"This is the wrong approach," he said.  "If the Hamas government fails as a result of this pressure no one will blame it.  Believe me if it fails and we have a collapse¹² and a bankruptcy¹³ in the budget and the president asks for a new election, Hamas will get even more votes than it got a few months ago.

The Hamas Cabinet was installed a day after Israelis voted in national elections to give Interim¹⁴ Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima Party the mandate¹⁵ he says he wants to draw Israel's final border with the Palestinians.  The plan involves withdrawing from most West Bank settlements, but keeping large settlement blocs¹⁶ and demarcating Israel's border along the controversial West Bank separation barrier. 

Hamas as well as other Palestinian leaders criticized the plan, saying it could lead to another cycle of violence in the region.

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

3 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

7 budge   

v.移动一点儿；改变立场

参考例句：

• We tried to lift the rock but it wouldn't budge.我们试图把大石头抬起来，但它连动都没动一下。
• She wouldn't budge on the issue.她在这个问题上不肯让步。

8 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

9 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

13 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

14 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

15 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

16 blocs   

n.集团，联盟( bloc的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The division of Europe into warring blocs produces ever-increasing centrifugal stress. 把欧洲分为作战集团产生了越来越大的离心效果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The policy of the two blocs was played out. 把世界分为两个集团的政策已经过时了。 来自辞典例句