VOA英语2010年-Palestinians Search for Alternatives as Peac

Palestinian leaders are searching for alternative ways forward in their bid to establish a Palestinian state, following the collapse¹ of the latest round of peace talks, this year. One way they are trying to gain statehood is by seeking international recognition of a Palestinian state.

Ramallah has all the trappings of a national capital: government ministry² buildings, monuments, an office of the president and foreign representation offices that resemble embassies.

Canada, China and Brazil are among the nations that have representative offices.

Although some are staffed by career diplomats⁴, the offices are not considered embassies because past accords prohibit the establishment of embassies and the exercise of diplomatic functions.

This month, the United States abandoned its demand for Israel to stop all construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a condition that the Palestinians have for returning to talks with the Israelis.

With the leverage⁵ lost, the Palestinian leadership intensified⁶ its efforts to convince as many countries as possible to recognize a Palestinian state. Palestinian negotiator Nabil Shaath leads the effort. And, last week he asked European nations to recognize Palestinian sovereignty. He tells VOA the action aims to raise international pressure on Israel.

"In a situation like the one we're in - particularly because of our decision not to go back to violence - what remains⁷ is international action. We're not going to sit on our hands and hope that something will happen from the sky," Shaath said.

Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia recognized a state of Palestine in December, joining a number of other nations that have done so in the past.

Ligia Maria Scherer, a career diplomat³ who holds the rank of ambassador, heads Brazil's representation office in Ramallah. She explains why her government recognized a Palestinian state.

"Brazil believes that with this granting of recognition, we can contribute to peace in the region," Scherer said. "That is the objective, the purpose of everything that Brazil does concerning the question of Palestine and Israel."

The Palestinians hope to eventually have the United Nations recognize their sovereignty.

Lobbying individual countries to grant recognition puts them on track to winning a majority of votes in the General Assembly. Their goal is to get enough support to one day win U.N. Security Council approval. Analysts⁸ say this is improbable because the United States does not support measures that Israel considers hostile.

The Israeli government says the decision by Brazil and others to recognize a Palestinian state hurts the peace process.

Yossi Beilin is an Israeli politician who was deeply involved Israel's negotiation⁹ of the Oslo accords in the 1990's. He doubts that achieving diplomatic recognition -- and words of support from nations with little influence in the Middle East -- will bring the Palestinians closer to having their own state.

"I understand their frustration¹⁰, but I must admit that the solution is not a very serious one," Beilin said. "Unless there is a withdrawal¹¹ of Israel from the West Bank there won't be a Palestinian state there. And, imagine that the whole world recognizes a state which doesn't exist? So what? Psychologically, it might help. Politically, it might enhance the current Palestinian leadership. But if you ask me whether this is an alternative, it is like saying, since you don't want to marry me, I will read a book."

The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it remains committed to reaching a peace agreement. However, the Israeli leadership rules out giving in to some of the Palestinians' key demands including a withdrawal from the West Bank and East Jerusalem, lands formerly¹² controlled by Jordan that were captured by Israel following its victory in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Beilin and others say that with the gap between Israelis and Palestinians as wide as it is, there is little chance of a permanent agreement under the current Israeli administration. Israel continues to build on its settlements in the West Bank and controls a large portion of the territory that would be the state of Palestine.

For now, the decision by some nations to give diplomatic recognition to a Palestinian state remains a symbolic¹³ gesture.

1 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。

2 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。

3 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

4 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

6 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

9 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

10 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

11 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

12 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

13 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。