Israeli, Palestinian Women Tour US to Speak Out Against Isra

 

By Suzanne Presto¹

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank is facing strong opposition² in parliament. As the prime minister tries to garner³ support at home, three women from the region are touring the United States, speaking out against the Israeli occupation. The women - two Palestinians and one Israeli, each of a different faith - have similar stories and messages.
The three speakers' mission is straightforward⁴, to discuss the reality of living with the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and to promote awareness⁵ of non-violent protests against the occupation. Because of the occupation, and resulting travel restrictions⁶, the women were not able to get together in Israel or the Palestinian territories.
Just hours after they met for the first time in Washington, the trio spoke⁷ about their lives to a crowd assembled at the Middle East Institute. A 26-year-old Christian⁸ Palestinian living in East Jerusalem, Marianne Albina, says many Palestinians she knows feel helpless and hopeless.
"The suffering happens so much on a daily basis, that our mind classifies it as normal life," Ms. Albina said. "So when people ask me, 'How has the occupation affected⁹ your life?' I don't think of the difficulties that I have from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep. But I think of things like how my friend from Ramallah, that is only seven miles away from where I live, could never come and visit me in Jerusalem and see the life I have in Jerusalem."
Israeli Gila Svirsky lives in West Jerusalem. Raised in the United States in a Zionist, Orthodox Jewish family, Ms. Svirsky moved to Israel almost 40 years ago at the age of 19.
The activist¹⁰ believes both Palestinians and Israelis have a right to live in the region, and both suffer as a result of Israeli settlements in Gaza and the West Bank, and Israeli forces in the territories.
"It's not just Palestinians who are paying the price," Ms. Svirsky said. "In Israel, we have had a thousand people killed or thousands and thousands who are injured as a result of suicide bombings, as a result of soldiers who serve in the territories."
Israel's embassy in Washington says these are disputed territories and their future status will be determined¹¹ through negotiations¹². Spokesman David Siegel says the problem is Israelis don't have a credible¹³ partner for peace.
Israel re-occupied parts of the West Bank and Gaza in an effort to improve security after the second Palestinian uprising began more than two years ago.
As part of that operation, Israel's forces moved in to a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin. Israeli officials say the effort, known as Operation Defensive¹⁴ Shield, was an attempt to defeat terror networks operating in the camp.
Palestinian Muslim Hidaya Said Najmi lived in Jenin with her husband and three children when the military launched the offensive. She says she wept when she saw the devastation¹⁵ to the neighborhood, buildings and homes after the troops left. Using her degree in architecture, Ms. Najmi works with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency as the senior design engineer in charge of rebuilding the camp. It is a chance for the mother of three, who says she is not political, to give Palestinians hope for a better life.
"Palestinians are still struggling for freedom," Ms. Najimi says. "Freedom which is the right of every human being. It's not a gift to be given by anyone. Palestinians have the right to resist occupation and to live a normal life like everyone else in the world."
Ms. Albina, the Palestinian Christian speaker, asks people to pay attention to the messages of non-violent Palestinians who are resisting the occupation, not just the violence of suicide bombers¹⁶.
"Do not ignore our daily peaceful resistance as we cross checkpoints, go to our workplaces and go to university," Ms. Albina says. "We do that peacefully. We do that trying not to become bitter and angry."
Ms. Svirsky, the Jewish Israeli, adds that the Israeli peace movement, too, is virtually unknown. In 2001, Ms. Svirsky and 500 other women blocked access to the ministry¹⁷ of defense¹⁸ in Tel Aviv, to protest Israel's restrictions on Palestinians. She says although 17 women were arrested and detained overnight, news of the demonstration¹⁹ did not spread.
Despite the difficulty in getting a message of peace across, Ms. Svirsky says people in Israel and the Palestinian territories have the same hope she does.
"The Israelis by this point are fed up with the conflict, and so are the Palestinians. Israelis want peace and security and so do the Palestinians," Ms. Svirsky says.
The women will repeat that message as they travel to several U.S. states as part of a speaking tour called 'Jerusalem Women Speak: Three Women, Three Faiths, One Shared Vision.'
Suzanne Presto, VOA News, Washington.
注释：
Gaza Strip 加沙地带
straightforward 坦率的
trio 三人组
Jerusalem 耶路撒冷
Zionist 支持或拥护犹太人复国运动者
orthodox 正统的
negotiation 商议，谈判
offensive 进攻
non-violent 非暴力的
checkpoint 检查站
Tel Aviv 特拉维夫（以色列港市）
be feed up with 饱受，厌烦

1 presto   

adv.急速地；n.急板乐段；adj.急板的

参考例句：

• With something so important,you can't just wave a wand and presto!在这么重大的问题上，你想挥动一下指挥棒，转眼就变过来,办不到！
• I just turned the piece of wire in the lock and hey presto,the door opened.我把金属丝伸到锁孔里一拧，嘿，那门就开了。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 garner   

v.收藏；取得

参考例句：

• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
• Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。

4 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

5 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

6 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

7 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。

8 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

11 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

12 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。

13 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

14 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

15 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

18 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

19 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。