2007年VOA标准英语-West Bank Barrier, New Divide in Palestinian-Is

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
14 June 2007
 

The human rights group Amnesty International has called for the dismantling¹ of the Israeli security barrier in the West Bank. The London-based group says the barrier has had a "disastrous² impact" on the lives of Palestinians. It accuses Israel of blatant³ violations⁴ of international law in the construction of the barrier on Palestinian land. And it calls on Palestinian militants⁵ to stop attacks on Israeli civilians⁶. VOA's Jim Teeple offers a close-up look at the barrier.

Israel is constructing a 700 kilometer barrier

For 700 kilometers this barrier divides Israel from the West Bank.  Just a decade ago it did not exist. But then more than 1,000 Israelis died in the second Intifada [revolt] -- many killed by suicide bombers⁷.  Four-thousand Palestinians also died in the second Intifada.  Palestinians say this barrier being built by Israel -- to stop suicide bombers -- will hurt efforts to revive the Arab-Israeli peace effort.  

Just a few years ago what was an open field now  looks more like an international border.  The checkpoint is part of the West Bank barrier. It is only about 12 kilometers from the Mediterranean⁸ Sea, at Israel's narrowest point.   Israelis say, before this checkpoint was built, Palestinian suicide bombers could easily reach Israeli towns just a few minutes walk away.

Captain Benji Rutland of the Israeli Defense⁹ Forces says at this location there is no need for an eight-meter concrete wall.  Here the barrier is a fence -- a high-tech¹⁰ fence. "The dirt road is swept on a regular basis and footprints can be checked.  Next to that is an electronic fence.  It has sensors¹¹ that can detect touch, plus video cameras.  Next to that is a ditch to prevent vehicles crashing and then barbed wire, plus another dirt road."

Just on the other side of that checkpoint is Nebi-Allas, a Palestinian village that is on the other side of the West Bank barrier.

Because the village is so close to Israel's border there are also checkpoints on the other side of the village. Many in Nebi-Allas say they are now trapped between the West Bank barrier which keeps them from traveling to Israel, and Israeli military checkpoints that keep them from traveling to nearby West Bank to towns like Nablus.

The Nebi-Allas pharmacy¹² is the only place in this part of the West Bank where Palestinians can get any sort of medical advice. 

The West Bank barrier drastically restricts the movement of Palestinians

Shaza Hanoun and her mother have run the pharmacy for years.  They say the West Bank barrier has had a negative impact on people's lives in Nebi-Allas.  She says a young boy recently died because he could not cross the West Bank barrier to receive medical treatment in Israel -- something the residents of Nebi-Allas were used to doing before the barrier was built. "He had to bring permission to get outside the wall and imagine the time is so important and you have to call for permission.  It is ridiculous."  

Just a few kilometers from Nebi-Allas is Alfei-Menashe, a quiet Israeli town that has suffered several terrorist attacks in recent years.  Alfei-Menashe is one of several Israeli settlements that used to be in the West Bank but are now in Israel -- inside the West Bank barrier. 

Israel has extended the barrier -- in some places as much as seven kilometers into the West Bank.  One Israeli human rights group says 2,800 hectares, or 7,000 acres of Palestinian land has been expropriated for construction of the barrier.

At the Everything for the Home hardware store, Paz Moshe helps a customer.  Like many who live in Alfei-Menashe, he lived in fear for years of Palestinian terrorists who in recent years carried out three deadly attacks against people who lived in Alfie-Menashe. "I am hoping that in the future the wall, the fence, is eliminated and there be open space, but now it is necessary."

Israelis across the country, from small towns, like Alfei-Menashe, to Jerusalem, say the West Bank barrier has given them a sense of security they never had before. 

Still, the West Bank Barrier divides neighbor from neighbor in Arab neighborhoods of the city, like one in East Jerusalem, where many families have been divided by the Barrier -- a barrier that many believe will one day become a permanent border. 

1 dismantling   

（枪支）分解

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。
• The dismantling of a nuclear reprocessing plant caused a leak of radioactivity yesterday. 昨天拆除核后处理工厂引起了放射物泄漏。

2 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

3 blatant   

adj.厚颜无耻的；显眼的；炫耀的

参考例句：

• I cannot believe that so blatant a comedy can hoodwink anybody.我无法相信这么显眼的一出喜剧能够欺骗谁。
• His treatment of his secretary was a blatant example of managerial arrogance.他管理的傲慢作风在他对待秘书的态度上表露无遗。

4 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

5 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。

6 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

7 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

9 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

10 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

11 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

12 pharmacy   

n.药房，药剂学，制药业，配药业，一批备用药品

参考例句：

• She works at the pharmacy.她在药房工作。
• Modern pharmacy has solved the problem of sleeplessness.现代制药学已经解决了失眠问题。