voa标准英语2008-Blair Says Conditions Must Change for Israelis a

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair says peace negotiations² between Israel and the Palestinians will not succeed until the reality on the ground improves for both sides. Mr. Blair made the remarks during a speech in Washington and VOA correspondent Meredith Buel has details.
　

Tony Blair, 3 Dec 2008

The same day Tony Blair resigned after 10 years as British Prime Minister he was appointed as representative of the Middle East Quartet to help the Palestinians build their institutions and economy.

The Quartet, which consists of the United Nations, European Union, Russia and the United States, has been trying to improve conditions for peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

But Mr. Blair says everyday realities must improve for both sides before any agreement is possible.

"The problem is that until now the reality on the ground for Israelis and Palestinians has not passed what I would call the minimum threshold of credibility for the political negotiation¹ to succeed. Not for the Israelis on security, not for the Palestinians on lifting the occupation," he said.

Mr. Blair, who has been the Quartet's representative for the past 18 months, says there recently have been small improvements in the West Bank.

He says Palestinian security forces have successfully deployed³ in the West Bank cities of Jenin, Nablus and Hebron. Mr. Blair says the economy is improving and the unemployment rate is falling.

In his speech to the Council on Foreign Relations, the former British prime minister said conditions continue to deteriorate⁴ in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the militant⁵ group Hamas.

Mr. Blair says there cannot be a Palestinian state until the situation in Gaza is resolved.

"There can only be one Palestinian state. It will combine Gaza and the West Bank. However much we are tempted⁶ to set Gaza to one side because of the chaos⁷ it causes to Palestinian cohesion⁸, it cannot be. But neither is its predicament inevitable⁹. It can and it must be reversed," he said.

Mr. Blair says the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank must prove it can maintain security. He says Israel must also stop building Jewish settlements there.

Mr. Blair says ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains¹⁰ key to solving other problems in the region.

"Peace between Israelis and Palestinians would release forces of modernization¹¹ across the region. It would pin back the forces of reaction and it does not inhabit an entirely¹² separate sphere from issues like Iran or Iraq or Afghanistan or Pakistan or any of the other troubled parts of that region, which crowd in on our consciences and compete for our attention. It is integral to resolving them too," he said.

Mr. Blair says an effort by the Bush administration to boost peace talks during a conference in Annapolis, Maryland last year does provide a platform to build on even though the sides will not reach their goal of an agreement by the end of this year.

1 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

2 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。

3 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

4 deteriorate   

v.变坏；恶化；退化

参考例句：

• Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗？
• He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为，这只会使局势更加恶化。

5 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。

6 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

7 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

8 cohesion   

n.团结，凝结力

参考例句：

• I had to bring some cohesion into the company.我得使整个公司恢复凝聚力。
• The power of culture is deeply rooted in the vitality,creativity and cohesion of a nation. 文化的力量，深深熔铸在民族的生命力、创造力和凝聚力之中。

9 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

10 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。

11 modernization   

n.现代化，现代化的事物

参考例句：

• This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
• The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。

12 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。