VOA标准英语2010年-Palestinian Protests Mount Over Israel

The West Bank city of Hebron has been the scene of clashes between rock-throwing Palestinian demonstrators and police almost daily in the past two weeks. The violence stems from Israel's decision to add Hebron's Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem to Israel's list of national heritage sites.

The sites are holy to both Jews and Muslims, and Israeli President Shimon Peres has pledged to keep them open to Israeli Jews and Palestinian Muslims alike.

"We are not monopolizing¹. And in the Cave of the Monarchs² as they call it, we already made arrangements that everybody will pray. We are not going to change it," Israeli President Shimon Peres said. "We are going to tell our children that this is historic and holy place for the Jewish people. It does not mean that the Muslims do not have any right there."

But Palestinians see it as an attempt by Israel to hold on to parts of the West Bank that the Palestinians claim for a future independent state.

The Cave of the Patriarchs – believed to be the burial place of Abraham and other biblical patriarchs – is in the center of Hebron – a city where tensions perpetually run high over the presence of hundreds of hard-line Jewish residents living among 170,000 Palestinians. The site is known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque³.

On Monday, the Palestinian cabinet moved its weekly meeting – normally held in the West Bank town of Ramallah – to Hebron as a symbolic⁴ protest. 

Palestinian leaders have called the Israeli move an attack on the holy places and a violation⁵ of international law.

Palestinian Authority spokesman Ghassan Khatib on Sunday accused Israel of trying to draw the Palestinians into a new conflict.

"Israel is provoking the Palestinians in order to escape from the mounting pressure on Israel resulting from the violations⁶ to international law," Khatib said.

Sunday, Muslim worshippers at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem clashed with police amid rumors⁷ that Jewish extremists were trying to enter the complex.

The tensions threaten prospects⁸ for restarting peace negotiations⁹ that have been stalled for more than year. 

The clashes come days before the arrival of U.S. Vice¹⁰ President Joseph Biden, who is expected to focus on the resumption of talks. Biden will be the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the region since President Barack Obama took office last year.
 

1 monopolizing   

v.垄断( monopolize的现在分词 )；独占；专卖；专营

参考例句：

• United States antitrust legislation prohibits corporations from dominating or monopolizing an industry. 美国反托拉斯法禁止公司控制或垄断一项工业。 来自辞典例句
• Only nobody else must be kind to him: I'm jealous of monopolizing his affection. 可就是用不着别人对他慈爱：我一心要独占他的感情。 来自辞典例句

2 monarchs   

君主，帝王( monarch的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Monarchs ruled England for centuries. 世袭君主统治英格兰有许多世纪。
• Serving six monarchs of his native Great Britain, he has served all men's freedom and dignity. 他在大不列颠本国为六位君王服务，也为全人类的自由和尊严服务。 来自演讲部分

3 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

4 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。

5 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

6 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

7 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

9 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。

10 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。