VOA标准英语2015--For Obama, More Business Than Friendship With World Leaders

For Obama, More Business Than Friendship With World Leaders

WHITE HOUSE—

Much has been said and written about the perceived dislike and disagreement between U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who used a March 3 speech before the U.S. Congress to denounce U.S. efforts to forge a nuclear deal with Iran.

The Israeli leader’s decision to speak at the request of House Speaker John Boehner, and President Obama’s decision not to meet with him while in Washington - citing a practice of not meeting with leaders right before elections in their home countries, brought U.S.-Israel ties to a new low.

Weeks later, just before the Israeli election, Prime Minister Netanyahu said he no longer supported a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in direct contrast to U.S. policy in the region.  While Netanyahu backtracked after winning re-election, the damage seemed to be done.

Through it all, many have questioned how much the two leaders’ rocky relationship played a role in the current state of the U.S.-Israel bond.

Former State Department Middle East Advisor¹ Aaron David Miller² says Obama and Netanyahu are not the first American and Israeli leaders to have what he calls a dysfunctional relationship.  Miller cites strained ties between former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and then Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, former President George H.W. Bush and then Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, and former President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Netanyahu.

But in those cases, the Wilson Center analyst³ says, there was still accommodation and production amidst the dysfunction, unlike the relationship between Obama and Netanyahu.

“Here you have dysfunction and no production, and that is, I think, a result of a confluence⁴ of differing personalities⁵, different politics and different policies. It’s a perfect storm basically, and it’s resulted in probably the worst patch in the modern history of the U.S.-Israeli relationship,” said Miller.

The seemingly irreparable rift⁶ between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu has put a spotlight⁷ on the importance of the American leader’s personal relationships with other world leaders and what role such friendships play in foreign policy.

Role of personal relationships

George Washington University Political Management Professor Matthew Dallek says if the relationship between both leaders were stronger and more resilient to begin with, it might not be so frayed⁸ right now.

Dallek adds cultivating friendships with foreign heads of states is important for American presidents, particularly if a crisis occurs. He says as the Islamic State swept across Syria and Iraq, President Obama reached out to other countries to form a coalition⁹ against the militant¹⁰ group.

“I don’t want to overstate the importance of personal relationships, those can’t necessarily overcome major policy disagreements. Having said that, when issues are tough they can make a big difference,” said Dallek.

In contrast to predecessors¹¹, Dallek notes President Obama has a more reserved approach, connecting with others through speeches to large audiences.

“[Former U.S. President] Ronald Reagan in some ways was this way as well - the ability in public settings to project and make people feel a part of what it was they were talking about, but then a sort of almost disengagement when it comes to these one-on-one interpersonal relations,” said Dallek. “It makes it harder to forge the kind of close relationships that all presidents need to operate effectively in the world.”

In his six years in office, President Obama is not known to have forged many close friendships with world leaders, though he has been said to call British Prime Minister David Cameron “bro.”

The president has referred to his relationship with Israel’s prime minister as “business-like” and his ties with other world leaders are not said to be much different.

Aaron David Miller, whose book The End of Greatness explores presidential performance, says successful world leaders have a love for politics and interaction. And personalities count.

“I watched Bill Clinton at Wye River charm the Israelis and Palestinians. I watched his personal commitment to both the late [Jordanian] King Hussein and the late [Israeli] Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. He had emotional relationships. With Rabin, it was an extraordinary example of how personality and common policy and outlook produced one of the closest relationships.”

In contrast, Miller says President Obama is more analytical¹² and introverted in his approach.

“In effect, you have a president who I think can be quite compelling at times when he does engage. The question is whether he enjoys it.  He is more detached, more remote, less emotive than many of his predecessors including George W. Bush,” said Miller.

Still, both Miller and Dallek say while developing a rapport¹³ and a level of trust is important, close personal relationships cannot overcome huge policy differences between world leaders.

1 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

2 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

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 confluence   

n.汇合，聚集

参考例句：

• They built the city at the confluence of two rivers.他们建造了城市的汇合两条河流。
• The whole DV movements actually was a confluence of several trends.整个当时的DV运动，实际上是几股潮流的同谋。

5 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

6 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

7 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

8 frayed   

adj.磨损的v.（使布、绳等）磨损，磨破( fray的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His shirt was frayed. 他的衬衫穿破了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The argument frayed their nerves. 争辩使他们不快。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

10 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

11 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 analytical   

adj.分析的；用分析法的

参考例句：

• I have an analytical approach to every survey.对每项调查我都采用分析方法。
• As a result,analytical data obtained by analysts were often in disagreement.结果各个分析家所得的分析数据常常不一致。

13 rapport   

n.和睦，意见一致

参考例句：

• She has an excellent rapport with her staff.她跟她职员的关系非常融洽。
• We developed a high degree of trust and a considerable personal rapport.我们发展了高度的互相信任和不错的私人融洽关系。