VOA常速英语2007年-Polls Show Israelis, Palestinians Support Upcom

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
23 November 2007

Polls show that Israelis and Palestinians support next week's international peace conference sponsored by the United States. But as Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, they don't believe it will help bring an end to the Middle East conflict.

A poll published in Israel's biggest newspaper shows that nearly 70 percent of Israelis support the peace conference that will take place in Annapolis, Maryland next week. But the survey also found that nearly the same number, 71 percent, do not believe it will help resolve the Middle East conflict.

Israeli, Palestinian and American leaders say the goal is to complete a final peace agreement by the end of 2008, but 82 percent of Israelis don't believe that is possible.

Israeli analyst¹ Shmuel Sandler says core issues like the status of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees and final borders have baffled diplomats² for decades, and resolving them in just a year is impossible.

"They are touching³ upon issues which I would say are detrimental⁴ to Israel's existence, so I don't think that this conference has a chance," said Sandler.

A Palestinian poll published earlier this week showed similar results. It found that 70 percent of Palestinians want President Mahmoud Abbas to attend the Annapolis conference, but 57 percent do not believe it will advance the peace process.

Palestinian analyst Mahdi Abdel Hadi says that after months of negotiations⁵, the sides have not even been able to hammer out a joint⁶ document on Palestinian statehood.

"There is no progress whatsoever," said Hadi. "[The] Israelis did not agree on any statement and drafting any document, and not moving to any direction. And I have very much doubts of the success of Annapolis."

If the document is not completed in time for the peace conference, Israeli and Palestinian leaders are expected to present a more vague statement, announcing the resumption of formal peace talks after a seven-year break.

1 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。

2 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

4 detrimental   

adj.损害的，造成伤害的

参考例句：

• We know that heat treatment is detrimental to milk.我们知道加热对牛奶是不利的。
• He wouldn't accept that smoking was detrimental to health.他不相信吸烟有害健康。

5 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。

6 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。