2006年VOA标准英语-New Initiative Aims to Restart Arab-Israeli Pea

By Meredith Buel
Washington
18 October 2006

The International Crisis Group, a public policy research organization, has launched an initiative to restart the Arab-Israeli peace process, following the recent month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah militants² in Lebanon. Members of the Crisis Group say solving the intractable conflict is key to resolving other problems in the Middle East.

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In a report, the Crisis Group says, since the collapse³ of the Arab-Israeli peace process in 2000, none of the governments in the Middle East has shown willingness to compromise.

It blames the international community for a lack of resolve in trying to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and calls on the United States, Europe and Arab countries to become more involved in trying to find a comprehensive settlement.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Thomas Pickering, who is a co-chairman of the Crisis Group, says the timing⁵ of the new initiative to bring the parties back to the bargaining table is important.

"I think the Crisis Group is doing this, in part, because coming out of the really miserable⁶ conflict that we have been through over Lebanon, there was a very strong sense of thinking that there is now a time and an opportunity, as there has been after most of the conflicts in the Middle East, to direct new energy into the Arab-Israeli peace process," he said. "The need is self-evident, given all of the turmoil⁷ and problems going on in the Middle East."

Joining in the call for urgent international action, 135 global leaders, including former presidents and prime ministers, have endorsed⁸ the Crisis Group's initiative.

The plan calls for an international meeting on the issue, perhaps modeled along the lines of the Madrid Conference.

That conference, in 1991, brought together, for the first time, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinians for talks after the first Gulf⁹ War.

The proposal also calls for negotiations¹⁰ between Israeli and Palestinian leaders on the immediate¹¹ issues of mutual¹² security and revival¹³ of the Palestinian economy.

The senior vice¹⁴ president of the Crisis Group, Mark Schneider, says unless attempts are made to resolve the conflict, the situation in the Middle East will only get worse.

"That issue is fundamental to all of the other consequences that we have seen: the increasing radicalization within the Middle East, the increasing targeting of the United States in every possible way, and the loss of U.S. influence," he said. "There is no issue in that part of the world that does not hinge in some degree, in some way, on resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict."

The Crisis Group is also calling for an end to the international political and financial boycott¹⁵ of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, if the Palestinians form a national unity⁴ government.

Talks to form such a government have stalled, and there have been deadly clashes between armed members of Hamas and the once-dominant Fatah party.

Mark Schneider of the Crisis Group says continued Palestinian infighting makes the new peace initiative even more urgent.

"To some degree that very specter of increased violence and instability among the Palestinians, we hope, will be seen as a process that cannot be allowed to continue," he said. "That is not going to produce a stable movement towards a two-state solution, which everybody agrees is still the only, successful and likely answer to peace in the Middle East."

The United States and other countries have labeled Hamas, which has carried out numerous suicide bombings against Israelis, a terrorist organization.

Western countries cut aid to the Palestinian Authority after Hamas came to power earlier this year.

The international community has demanded that Hamas recognize Israel and renounce¹⁶ violence, conditions the militant¹ group is refusing to accept.

Crisis Group co-chair Thomas Pickering says Hamas must agree to negotiations with the Jewish state.

"The message that we need to send to Hamas is, no governance without acceptance of a negotiated solution to the problem, and that is the bridge they have to cross," he said. "My feeling is, they know the bankruptcy¹⁷ of militancy¹⁸, and, now, they have to be taught the opportunities of diplomacy¹⁹."

Condoleezza Rice (l) meeting with Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah   
  
Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with leaders of moderate Arab states as part of a Middle East tour designed to explore ways to reinvigorate the peace process.

Former U.S. Congressman²⁰ and Crisis Group board member Stephen Solarz says many Arab governments are pressing the United States to help revive negotiations.

"First, they have publicly reaffirmed their interest in moving the peace process forward," he said. "Secondly²¹, because, I think, moderate Arab governments want to demonstrate that Arab objectives can be achieved through diplomacy, not just on the battlefield, I think, they recognize, with a few more victories, like the one Hezbollah claims to have won in Lebanon, Lebanon will cease to exist. I do not think the Arab countries want another war with Israel. They are cognizant that, even under the best of circumstances, devastation²² is likely to be rained upon them."

George W. Bush  
  
President George Bush says he is committed to a settlement that will result in two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living together in peace and security.

Mr. Bush says reaching that goal is one of the highest priorities of his presidency²³.

Crisis Group board member Stephen Solarz says, while there are no guarantees this latest initiative will succeed, there is general support from Israelis and Palestinians for negotiations that could end the conflict.

"What gives us some hope that this can be done is that public opinion on both sides appears to be receptive to these compromises, if, in fact, they can be achieved," he said.

The Crisis Group says it will continue to produce a series of reports on the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, and analyze²⁴ the possibility of additional agreements between Israel, Syria and Lebanon.

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 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。

3 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。

4 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

5 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

6 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

7 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

8 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

10 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。

11 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

12 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

13 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。

14 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

15 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

16 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

17 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。

18 militancy   

n.warlike behavior or tendency

参考例句：

• Full of militancy and revolutionary ardour, the people of all nationalities in the country are working hard for the realization of the four modernizations. 全国各族人民意气风发， 斗志昂扬，为实现四个现代化而奋战。
• The seniority system is another factor that leads to union militancy. 排资论辈制度也是导致工会好斗争的另一因素。

19 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

20 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

21 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

22 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》

23 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

24 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。