VOA慢速英语2010年-IN THE NEWS - Israelis, Palestinians t

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

American officials are preparing for Israel and the Palestinians to restart direct peace talks. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the plans on Friday in Washington.

HILLARY CLINTON: "I've invited Israeli Prime Minister Netayahu and Palestinian Authority President Abbas to meet on September second in Washington, D.C., to relaunch direction negotiations¹ to resolve all final status issues, which we believe can be completed within one year."

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah are also invited. The plan is for President Obama to meet with the four leaders on September first.

Secretary Clinton warned that more difficulties can be expected.

HILLARY CLINTON: "Without a doubt we will hit more obstacles. The enemies of peace will keep trying to defeat us and to derail these talks."

Hamas, the militant² Palestinian group that rules Gaza, has already denounced the talks.

Direct talks ended almost two years ago. But George Mitchell, the American special envoy³ for Middle East peace, has traveled between the two sides for months of indirect, or proximity⁴, talks. He says the United States is ready to suggest compromises, or "bridging proposals," as needed during the talks.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Mideast envoy George Mitchell speak to reporters at the State Department about the relaunching of direct Israeli-Palestinian talks.

Secretary Clinton said the talks should take place without preconditions. The secretary said she and President Obama were "encouraged" by the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhayu and President Mahmoud Abbas.

She said they all share the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living peacefully side by side. The "final status" issues also include issues like refugees and the future of Jerusalem.

On a separate issue, President Obama this week faced strong criticism in the debate over a proposed Islamic center in New York. The property is two blocks from Ground Zero, what people call the site where the twin towers were destroyed.

Al-Qaida attacked the World Trade Center on September eleventh, two thousand one. Opponents say it is offensive to build a Muslim site that includes a mosque⁵ less than a kilometer away.

Republicans and other criticized the president over comments he made last Friday. He was speaking to guests at an iftar dinner at the White House celebrating the holy month of Ramadan.

Rita Balmin, left, holds a sign that says "Remember 09.11.01" at the site of the proposed Islamic center on Friday. Matt Sky, center, and Julia Lundy hold signs in support of religious freedom.

BARACK OBAMA: "Ground Zero is indeed hallowed ground. But let me be clear, as a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan."

Later he said that he was not commenting on "the wisdom" of the decision.

But the top Democrat⁶ in the Senate, Harry⁷ Reid, did comment. Senator Reid is fighting for re-election this November in Nevada.

HARRY REID: "It's very obvious that the mosque should be built someplace else."

New York City officials have approved the project. Supporters say it will help bridge divisions between the West and the Muslim world.

By many estimates, the United States has about two thousand mosques⁸. But surveys show American public opinion is mostly against what some critics call the "Ground Zero Mosque." And some construction workers say they would refuse to build it.

The prayer room would be part of a one-hundred-million-dollar Muslim cultural center. A group of American Sufi Muslims has purchased the property to build it.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.
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Includes reporting by Peter Fedynsky, David Gollust and Carolyn Presutti
 

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 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

4 proximity   

n.接近，邻近

参考例句：

• Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。
• Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。

5 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

6 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

7 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

8 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。