2006年VOA标准英语-Efforts to Convene Israeli-Palestinian Summit B

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
15 October 2006

Efforts to convene¹ a rare Israeli-Palestinian summit have broken down.  The thorny² issue of the release of Palestinian prisoners is at the heart of the dispute.  
 

Israeli PM Ehud Olmert is seen at the weekly cabinet meeting at his Jerusalem office, October 15, 2006

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says plans for his first summit meeting with moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are on hold. Mr. Olmert told Cabinet ministers from his ruling Kadima party that Mr. Abbas demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners as a condition for the meeting.

Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisen says that is unacceptable.

"There cannot be preconditions," she said.

Mr. Olmert said there would be no prisoner release, until the Palestinians free a kidnapped soldier held in the Gaza Strip.

Gunmen from the ruling Islamic militant³ group Hamas seized 19-year-old corporal Gilad Shalit in a cross-border raid on an Israeli army base in June. The Hamas-led government is demanding the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the captive soldier.

But Eisen says Israel will not cave in to what she calls "terrorist blackmail⁴."

"We say we will not now release prisoners, because Corporal Shalit was abducted⁵, and we can't release any of these prisoners right now," added Eisen.

With about 10,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails, the issue of freeing the prisoners is a popular cause on the streets of the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinian analyst⁶ Bassam Eid says Mr. Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, has been ineffective, and he needs to show his people the tangible⁷ benefits of talking peace.

"Mr. Abu Mazen already gave so many promises, which unfortunately Mr. Abu Mazen himself did nothing right now," noted⁸ Eid.

Mr. Abbas, who heads the Fatah party, is locked in a power struggle with the rival Hamas, a group that seeks Israel's destruction. Israel says it wants to strengthen Mr. Abbas, but it fears a prisoner release will have the opposite effect. Israeli officials say it would show the Palestinians that terrorism pays, and strengthen the militants⁹ of Hamas.

1 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。

2 thorny   

adj.多刺的，棘手的

参考例句：

• The young captain is pondering over a thorny problem.年轻的上尉正在思考一个棘手的问题。
• The boys argued over the thorny points in the lesson.孩子们辩论功课中的难点。

3 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。

4 blackmail   

n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓

参考例句：

• She demanded ＄1000 blackmail from him.她向他敲诈了1000美元。
• The journalist used blackmail to make the lawyer give him the documents.记者讹诈那名律师交给他文件。

5 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

6 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。

7 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。