VOA常速英语2007年-UN Report Criticizes Israel's West Bank Separat

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
17 November 2007

The United Nations has criticized Israel's controversial separation barrier in the West Bank. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, Israel has rejected the report, saying the fence is vital to national security.

A U.N. report found that most of the 30,000 West Bank farmers whose land has been cut off by Israel's separation barrier are unable to get to their fields. It said only 18 percent of these Palestinian farmers have been able to obtain Israeli permits to cross the border and reach their farms. The report, by the U.N. Office for the Coordination¹ of Humanitarian² Affairs, said many Palestinians stopped seeking permits because their applications were rejected in the past.

The U.N. also cited other hardships caused by the fence, such as the difficulty of reaching hospitals and medical clinics.

Palestinian analyst³ Mahdi Abdul Hadi, who has studied the impact of the barrier, tells VOA that the situation is going from bad to worse.

"For the Palestinians, the wall has been like a sharp knife slicing our flesh," he said.  "For the Israelis, they don't care where you live as long as you are behind the wall," he said.  "They don't want to see. They don't want to care, even if you are living in slums."

Israel began constructing the barrier in 2002, after dozens of Palestinian suicide bombings.

Israeli spokesman Mark Regev says the report is one-sided, because it does not take Israel's security situation into account.

"The barrier has been an extremely effective tool in preventing suicide bombers⁴ coming into Israel and murdering our people," he said.

Israel has ignored a 2004 decision by the World Court in The Hague, which ruled that the barrier is illegal and should be torn down. Some 60 percent of the structure has already been built, mostly in the northern West Bank and around Jerusalem.

By the time the barrier is completed, Israel will have effectively annexed⁵ about 9 percent of the West Bank, according to U.N. figures. Palestinians say the barrier is not a security issue, but a land grab.

1 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

2 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

3 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。

4 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》

5 annexed   

[法] 附加的，附属的

参考例句：

• Germany annexed Austria in 1938. 1938年德国吞并了奥地利。
• The outlying villages were formally annexed by the town last year. 那些偏远的村庄于去年正式被并入该镇。