2007年VOA标准英语-Israel Offers to Open Peace Talks With Syria

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
10 July 2007

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Israeli and Syrian flags, hung by left-wing Israeli activists from the Peace Now organization, are seen at the entrance to Jerusalem 10 Jul 2007

Israel is offering an olive branch to Syria. But as Robert Berger reports from VOA's Jerusalem bureau, the gaps between the two countries remain wide.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resume peace talks that collapsed³ seven years ago. In an interview with the Arab TV network Al Arabiya, Mr. Olmert said he is ready to sit down and talk about peace, not war.

Negotiations⁴ with Syria would center on the strategic Golan Heights, which Israel captured during the Six Day War in 1967. Syria has demanded a full Israeli withdrawal⁵ from the territory in exchange for full peace.

Mr. Olmert has made several offers for peace talks in recent months, but they have not borne fruit because he attached tough preconditions: Syria must scale back ties with Iran and end support for Islamic militant⁶ groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"We will of course be happy to negotiate with the Syrians. We would like to make peace with Syria," said Israeli Cabinet Minister Haim Herzog.  "We have a major problem with Bashar al-Assad. In order to move forward, I think Bashar al-Assad needs to show some measures of seriousness about his change in attitude."

Syria says it is ready for peace talks, but without preconditions.

Israeli peace activist¹ Galia Golan believes Israel should be more flexible.

"Well I do think it is an opportunity for Israel to reach a peace agreement with the last Arab country with which we are officially at war," said Golan.

Mr. Olmert is interested in negotiations because he believes it would weaken the radical⁷ forces in the region by bringing Syria into the camp of the moderates.

But U.S. officials say such negotiations would relieve international pressure on Syria over its attempts to destabilize Iraq and Lebanon.

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

4 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。

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 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。

7 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。