中东－分析家表示阿巴斯在中东和平进程中面临巨大挑战

 

Analysts¹ Say Abbas Faces Serious Challenges in Mideast Peace Process

 

Mahmoud Abbas has to tackle several major issues as the newly-elected President of the Palestinian Authority.

 

Experts on Middle Eastern affairs say the 69-year-old Mahmoud Abbas takes over as leader of the Palestinian Authority at a critical time in its history. Mr. Abbas replaces Yasser Arafat, who died last November and who was the undisputed Palestinian leader for decades.

 

Nathan Brown, an expert on Palestinian politics with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, says Mr. Abbas's election is a positive step in the search for a lasting² peace in the Middle East.

 

Nathan Brown: There are many, many, many more steps that will have to be taken before there's a peaceful resolution of the conflict. But I think what he represents above all, are two things: first, a real difference in style. He simply knows how to present himself to an international audience. He talks to an Israeli audience in a way that they can listen to much more easily than with Yasser Arafat. He's not that different on strategic goals, but he simply presents himself better. And the second thing that he represents is a willingness to build Palestinian institutions, to reform them and so on and to really build the sort of Palestinian Authority that would be an effective negotiating partner.

 

Many analysts believe Mr. Abbas will be a more effective negotiating partner because his views are more moderate than those of Yasser Arafat. In addition, the Israeli leadership and the Bush administration made clear they were not going to negotiate with the Palestinians as long as Mr. Arafat was in power. That effectively brought the peace process to a halt.

 

Mr. Brown says Mr. Arafat's death and Mr. Abbas's election may provide new momentum³ to the peace process.

 

Nathan Brown: There is no question that Mahmoud Abbas is the kind of Palestinian leader that the Americans want, and there are some initially⁴ very strong signals from the United States that the level of attention, even at the presidential level, was going to be much higher. At the same time, there is a different precedent⁵ here. Mahmoud Abbas was Prime Minister last year for some months. The United States rushed in to support him, but then very, very quickly lost interest in him and concluded perhaps that he was ineffective or whatever, attention shifted elsewhere. So the main question for the United States is does it have the political will to sustain an involvement in this process and not simply step in at the beginning immediately after or in the wake of the enthusiasm provoked by the election.

 

During her confirmation⁶ hearings to become the new Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice said the election of Mahmoud Abbas represents a moment of opportunity and the United States must seize it.

 

Condoleezza Rice: I look forward to personally working with Palestinian and Israeli leaders and bringing American diplomacy⁷ to bear on this difficult but crucial issue. Peace can only come if all parties choose to do the difficult work and the time to choose peace is now.

 

Many analysts say the role of the United States is crucial to move the peace process forward. One of those experts is Fawaz Gerges, professor of Middle Eastern studies at Sarah Lawrence College.

 

Fawaz Gerges: For the last three years, the position of the United States and Israel has been that Arafat was a major hindrance⁸ to the peace process. Ariel Sharon used the existence of Yasser Arafat as a justification⁹ not to engage the Palestinians politically. Well, Arafat is out of the picture. Now let's see whether the United States is genuine about really becoming more actively¹⁰ engaged in pushing Palestinians and Israelis to the negotiating table. Let's see if the President's, that is President Bush's vision for two viable¹¹ states living side by side in peace, will basically materialize in the next two or three years. Let's hope that the Bush administration becomes much more actively engaged in the Palestinian-Israeli peace making, that the Bush administration becomes much more serious about exerting pressure, not just on the Palestinians, but also on the Israelis, that the Bush administration invests what I call 'credible¹² political capital' in bringing about a settlement between Palestinians and Israelis.

 

Mr. Gerges says Mahmoud Abbas must convince the Palestinians that there is a ray of hope for the peace process and the Bush administration has a vital role to play in keeping that ray of hope alive.

 

Andre de Nesnera, VOA news, Washington.

 

注释：

tackle [5tAkl] vt. 应付（难事等），处理

take over 接管

undisputed [5Qndis5pju:tid] adj. 无可置辩的，无异议的

strategic [strE5ti:dVik] adj. 战略的，战略上的

institution [7insti5tju:FEn] n. 公共机构

in power 当权

momentum [mEu5mentEm] n. 动力，要素

provoke [prE5vEuk] vt. 激起，煽动

look forward to 期待，盼望

bear on 对……施加压力

hindrance [5hindrEns] n. 妨碍，障碍

bring about 使发生，致使

1 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。

2 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

3 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

4 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。

5 precedent   

n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的

参考例句：

• Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
• This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

6 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

7 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

8 hindrance   

n.妨碍，障碍

参考例句：

• Now they can construct tunnel systems without hindrance.现在他们可以顺利地建造隧道系统了。
• The heavy baggage was a great hindrance to me.那件行李成了我的大累赘。

9 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

10 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

11 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。

12 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？