VOA常速英语2007-Senior Official Says Israel Prepared to Divide J

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
08 October 2007

A senior government official says Israel is prepared to relinquish¹ parts of Jerusalem as part of a peace agreement. But as Robert Berger reports from the VOA's Jerusalem bureau, there is opposition² to the plan in the Cabinet and Palestinians say it is not enough.

Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon says the Israeli government would support a division of Jerusalem as part of a peace deal with the Palestinians.

Ramon told Israel Radio that under the plan, Israel would transfer many of the Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem to the Palestinians.

This would be a key component³ of an Israeli-Palestinian declaration to be made at an international peace conference in the United States this year.

The plan marks a sea change in Israel's position, after it captured East Jerusalem from Jordan during the Six Day War in 1967. Since then it has been an Israeli slogan that Jerusalem would remain the united capital of the State of Israel forever.

Ramon said Israel does not need 170,000 Arabs in Jerusalem, about a third of the city's population, to be citizens of the Jewish state.

But the plan is facing opposition from hawks⁴ in the Cabinet, like Minister Shaul Mofaz.

"We need to strengthen Jerusalem, not weaken it," Mofaz said.

A former general, Mofaz warned that handing areas of Jerusalem to Palestinian control would pose a major security threat to Jewish neighborhoods in the city.

Palestinian officials say Israel's position is a step in the right direction, but that it still does not resolve the key issue: sovereignty in Jerusalem's Old City. The Palestinians say any peace deal must be based on an Israeli withdrawal⁵ to the 1967 borders, which would include a pullout from the Old City.

But Israel says it will never give up Jewish holy places such as the Temple Mount, which is also home to the Mosque⁶ of Al Aksa, the third holiest place in Islam.

Old Jerusalem is a focal point of religious aspirations⁷ and tensions, and it remains⁸ a stumbling block to a peace deal.

1 relinquish   

v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手

参考例句：

• He was forced to relinquish control of the company.他被迫放弃公司的掌控权。
• They will never voluntarily relinquish their independence.他们绝对不会自动放弃独立。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

4 hawks   

鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物

参考例句：

• Two hawks were hover ing overhead. 两只鹰在头顶盘旋。
• Both hawks and doves have expanded their conditions for ending the war. 鹰派和鸽派都充分阐明了各自的停战条件。

5 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

6 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。

7 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。