VOA常速英语2007-Palestinian President Optimistic Middle East Cri

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Jakarta
22 October 2007

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he hopes peace negotiations¹ to establish a Palestinian state will be successfully concluded by the end of 2008. On a visit to Indonesia, he also stressed the importance of reconciliation² with Hamas in order to end the Middle East crisis. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins in Jakarta has more.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told a joint³ news conference with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta Monday he was confident the Middle East crisis would be solved by the end of 2008.

Mr. Abbas is on an Asian tour to win support from Muslim leaders ahead of a U.S.-sponsored meeting with Israel. Due to be held in the U.S. state of Maryland later this year, that meeting aims to find a way for the two sides to return to the negotiating table after seven years of bloodshed.

Mr. Abbas says both sides are working on a document to be presented at the meeting. It is supposed to address a range of difficult issues surrounding Palestinian statehood, such as the drawing of borders, what to do with the millions of Palestinian refugees, and the fate of Jerusalem.

Speaking to reporters in Arabic, Mr. Abbas says he hopes both sides can make the document acceptable to all parties - the Palestinians, Israelis, and the international community.

Mr. Abbas also stressed the importance of reconciliation with Hamas and acknowledged that Hamas is a part of Palestine and cannot be separate.

But the Palestinian president warns that because Hamas carried out a coup⁴ d'etat against the legitimate⁵ government it could divide Palestine and dissolve the peace efforts. He says they must work to together to achieve their goals.

President Yudhoyono said he welcomed U.S. efforts to help with the Middle East crisis and said Indonesia was also taking part in efforts to support the peace process.

He says Indonesia, along with other Asian countries and South Africa will arrange a conference about "capacity building" for Palestinians. He did not elaborate.

Indonesia is a secular⁶, democratic nation with the world's largest number of Muslims. Mr. Yudhoyono is keen for the nation to take a more active role in resolving the crisis in the Middle East.

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 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

5 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

6 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。