2007年VOA标准英语-Israel Plans Gestures to Strengthen Palestinian

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
22 June 2007

Israel is planning to offer goodwill¹ gestures to Palestinian moderates in the West Bank after the fall of the Gaza Strip to the Islamic militant² group Hamas. As Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, the steps will be presented at a four-way Middle East summit next week.

Ehud Olmert (File)

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert plans to bring a package of confidence building measures to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas when they hold a summit meeting in Egypt on Monday. Mr. Olmert says Israel wants to strengthen the moderate Abbas government in the West Bank after Hamas seized control of Gaza last week.

"I prefer to see not only the dangers but also the chances, not only the difficulties and there are difficulties, but also how these events can open up new roads for better cooperation and better understanding with many of the Palestinians that live outside of Gaza," he said.

The gestures are expected to include releasing some of the $600 million in tax revenues that Israel withheld³ when Hamas took power in March of last year. Israel also plans to take steps to improve the daily lives of Palestinians in the West Bank, such as easing travel and trade restrictions⁴.

The aim is "to establish a new environment that will be first be good for them but which can also serve to create a better understanding, which will lead toward perhaps a meaningful political process between us and them," said Mr. Olmert.

Mr. Abbas is expected to push for the resumption of a peace process that would lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will host the summit next Monday at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders and Jordan's King Abdullah.

The international community is also getting involved in peace efforts. One day after the summit, low level envoys⁵ from the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia will meet in Jerusalem. The so-called "Quartet" of world powers is throwing its full support behind the Abbas government, while isolating⁶ Hamas.

1 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

2 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。

3 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 envoys   

使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份

参考例句：

• the routine tit for tat when countries expel each other's envoys 国家相互驱逐对方使节这种惯常的报复行动
• Marco Polo's travelogue mentions that Kublai Khan sent envoys to Malgache. 马可波罗游记中提到忽必烈曾派使节到马尔加什。

6 isolating   

adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
• This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句