VOA标准英语2010年-More Questions Than Answers in Middle

A handout¹ picture released by the US Embassy in Israel shows US Middle East envoy² George Mitchell (L) listening to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting in Jerusalem, 20 May 2010

A second round of indirect talks has ended in Middle East. They are part of a four-month effort by the United States to jumpstart peace negotiations³ that ended eighteen months ago. Israeli and Palestinian analysts⁴ have different views on what can be achieved in the coming weeks.

Few details have emerged out of so-called proximity⁵ talks held this week between U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell and the Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Israel says it will not discuss the issue of settlements or Jerusalem outside of face-to-face talks. But the Palestinians don't want to participate in direct talks until Israel stops the expansion of Jewish settlements in disputed territories.

Maen Rashid Areikat

"We are not saying that we will not speak directly to the Israelis," said Palestinian Liberation Organization envoy to Washington, Maen Rashid Areikat. "We are saying that we cannot conduct negotiations with the Israelis about the future of the occupied territories, a viable⁶ Palestinian state on 22 percent of what used to be historic Palestine."

"We cannot negotiate with the Israelis when they are continuing to build settlements and confiscate⁷ land and take measures that are undermining the basic, fundamental cornerstone of achieving peace in the Middle East," he added.

Barak Ravid, Diplomatic Correspondent at Israel's Haaretz Daily newspaper, says the Israelis agreed to a ten-month moratorium⁸ on building settlements in the West Bank, which will expire in September - at the same time that proximity talks will end.

"I don't think that the Palestinians will see a full freeze of building in East Jerusalem," he said. "This will not happen. Especially through a public declaration by Mr. Netanuyahu. It might happen [de facto] on the ground, but the Palestinians won't get the public statement that they want on it."

Ravid offers his view of the Palestinian position. "I think that the PA has decided⁹ that at least publically it should embrace the efforts of President Obama and his envoy, Mr. Mitchell, and to show that they are on board. Because at the end of the day and the end of those four months, the U.S. will determine whose fault it was that nothing was achieved," he said.

He says he believes the purpose of the proximity talks is to facilitate a new U.S. peace plan. "The administration knows that there's actually no chance of getting any success out of it, but it needs to show to both sides and to the international community that it tried through negotiations, it failed, so now we can put forward a peace plan of our own," said Ravid.

But PLO Envoy Areikat credits the new American administration for its renewed commitment to breaking the Middle East impasse¹⁰.

"From day one, the Obama Administration has shown serious engagement by appointing Senator Mitchell the day after Obama was inaugurated. I think they have a team of experts who are very well informed about the situation in the Middle East," he said.

Areikat describes the importance of the talks to the Palestinians. "We are living under a military occupation that is denying our basic rights and preventing us from progressing economically, socially, culturally…we are the ones who are paying the highest price for the lack of peace," said the envoy.

The U.S. has said that the full scope of the proximity talks will not be made public. And for now, there's no word on when the next cycle of talks will begin.
 

1 handout   

n.散发的文字材料；救济品

参考例句：

• I read the handout carefully.我仔细看了这份分发的资料。
• His job was distributing handout at the street-corner.他的工作是在街头发传单。

2 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

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 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。

5 proximity   

n.接近，邻近

参考例句：

• Marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by the law.法律规定禁止近亲结婚。
• Their house is in close proximity to ours.他们的房子很接近我们的。

6 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

7 confiscate   

v.没收(私人财产)，把…充公

参考例句：

• The police have the right to confiscate any forbidden objects they find.如发现违禁货物，警方有权查扣。
• Did the teacher confiscate your toy?老师没收你的玩具了吗？

8 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。