VOA标准英语2009年-Olmert Rejects Hamas Proposed Prisoner Swap

Israel says indirect negotiations¹ with the militant² Islamic group Hamas have failed. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says his government will not accept the group's demands in exchange for the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier seized by Palestinian militants³ and taken to Gaza in 2006.
　
Ehud Olmert (file)

Israel and Hamas aimed to reach a truce⁴ mediated⁵ by Egypt that would include Israel's lifting of its blockade on border crossings into Gaza. In addition to the opening of borders, Hamas wanted Israel to release more than 1,000 prisoners, including 450 who Israel says were involved in terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians⁶. Israel linked any lifting of the blockade to the release of Gilad Shalit.

In the end, Israel refused to add the names of some prisoners to the list of those it would free, and it demanded that some be deported⁷ upon their release.

In remarks after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel would not agree under any circumstances to the terms that Hamas presented.

Mr. Olmert said there are red lines and that Israel would not cross them.

The two sides traded blame for the failure of negotiations. Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan accused Israel of undermining the talks.

He said Israel agreed in principle to the prisoner exchange. But he said the problem started when it came to the names of those who would be released. He said Israel insisted on having Hamas free Gilad Shalit first.

Israeli Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann spoke⁸ to reporters after Tuesday's cabinet meeting.

He said the Israeli prime minister was prepared to make far-reaching concessions⁹. But, he said, Hamas' demands reached proportions that no Israeli government could accept.

Hundreds of Israelis demonstrated on Tuesday, urging the government to keep up efforts to free Shalit. The soldier's parents, meanwhile, camped outside the prime minister's office.

Israeli officials say they will continue their efforts to gain the soldier's release, but that it would likely be under the country's next government.

Mr. Olmert is due to leave office in several days. Benjamin Netanyahu is under an April 3rd deadline to form a coalition¹⁰ government -- one that will likely be dominated by hardliners who are less disposed to make concessions to Hamas.

Daniel Diker is a foreign policy analyst¹¹ with the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. "The other, more strategic option for Israel is to wait until this government in the coming days finishes its term. And then, you will have what in all likelihood looks like a Netanyahu coalition, and they will then go back to square one and begin to approach this issue from a different vantage point," he said.

During his campaign, Mr. Netanyahu called for the toppling of Hamas.

Israel on Tuesday said it will maintain its blockade on Gaza's borders until Gilad Shalit is released.

The failure of the talks means further setbacks for recovery efforts on the Gaza Strip. Israel is preventing the transport of concrete and steel -- materials needed for reconstruction¹² after the recent Israeli offensive that destroyed thousands of homes.

1 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。

2 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。

3 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

4 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

5 mediated   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

6 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

7 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 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。

9 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

10 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

11 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

12 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。