VOA常速英语2008年-Rice Says Mideast Peace Negotiations Back on Tr

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
05 March 2008

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Israelis and Palestinians have agreed to resume peace talks.  The announcement came on a day of intense diplomatic activity and an easing of tensions in the Gaza Strip.  VOA's Jim Teeple reports from our Jerusalem bureau. 

Secretary Rice ended two days of intense diplomatic activity that saw her visit Egypt, the West Bank and Israel by getting a commitment from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to resume peace talks with Israel. 

The talks were suspended Sunday by Mr. Abbas, after more than 120 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, during an operation against Palestinian militants¹ firing rockets at southern Israel.

Wednesday, Mr. Abbas initially² said he would not resume the negotiations³ unless a cease-fire went into effect in Gaza.  But at a news conference with Israel's foreign minister, Secretary Rice said she had convinced the Palestinian president to change his mind. 

"I have talked with Abu Mazen, with President Abbas, and he obviously would like to see a calm, he has spoken publicly about his desire for a cease fire, but this is not a condition for a resumption of the talks," she said.

A statement issued by President Abbas's office confirmed that Palestinians will be returning to the negotiations, calling the decision a strategic choice. 

Rice says even though she is leaving the region for now, U.S. diplomatic activity to end the crisis will continue, saying U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch, will hold talks with Egyptian officials about how to ease tensions in Gaza.  She says the best way for that to happen is for Hamas and other Palestinian militants in Gaza to stop firing rockets at southern Israel.

"The rocket attacks against Israel ought to stop," she added.  "As I have said, as Israel defends itself, Israel also needs to be very careful about innocent people who get caught in the crossfire⁴, and about the humanitarian⁵ conditions in Gaza.  So there is a path forward."

Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israeli forces will abstain⁶ from attacking the Gaza Strip if militants stop firing rockets.  Mr. Olmert made his comments at the conclusion of a meeting of his security cabinet, which approved continued targeted strikes against rocket launching activities in Gaza.

Tensions in Gaza have eased considerably⁷.  For the first time since the current crisis began, Israel allowed about 25 Palestinians to enter Israel from Gaza for medical treatment.  Israel also allowed about 70 truckloads of food and medicine to enter Gaza, including some coming from Egypt.  Meanwhile, Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel dramatically dropped on Wednesday as well.

1 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。

2 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

3 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。

4 crossfire   

n.被卷进争端

参考例句：

• They say they are caught in the crossfire between the education establishment and the government.他们称自己被卷进了教育机构与政府之间的争端。
• When two industrial giants clash,small companies can get caught in the crossfire.两大工业企业争斗之下，小公司遭受池鱼之殃。

5 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。

6 abstain   

v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免

参考例句：

• His doctor ordered him to abstain from beer and wine.他的医生嘱咐他戒酒。
• Three Conservative MPs abstained in the vote.三位保守党下院议员投了弃权票。

7 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。