VOA常速英语2008年-Israel to Ease Some West Bank Restrictions as R

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
30 March 2008

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held talks Sunday with Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian leaders during her second trip the Middle East in less than a month.  VOA's Jim Teeple reports from Jerusalem that Israel says it will ease some restrictions¹ on Palestinians in the West Bank in a bid to move peace talks forward. 

Israel says it will remove about 50 roadblocks in the West Bank, allow unrestricted access to the West Bank city of Jericho and ease permit restrictions for some Palestinians who need to travel through Israeli-controlled territory.  The measures were announced following talks between Secretary Rice, Israel's Foreign and Defense² Ministers and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Jerusalem.

Rice says the measures will help move the peace process forward.  

"What we have to have is meaningful progress toward a better life for the Palestinian people for economic viability³ for Palestinians, even as we move toward the establishment of a state," Rice said. "There is a shared responsibility here for an atmosphere and a reality that can lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state based on security for Israelis and Palestinians alike and economic viability for Palestinians."
 
Palestinians have pledged to work to improve security in the West Bank and impose order in the West Bank town of Jenin.  Last week Israel said it will allow a specially⁴ trained force of police loyal to moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to travel to Jenin in an effort to curb⁵ militancy⁶ there.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni says Israel wants to cooperate with moderate Palestinians to improve their economy, but Palestinians must improve security.

"The formula is to do whatever we can as long as it does not affect our own security because the other responsibility is to find a way to give security to Israeli citizens, but I think Israel and the Palestinians both understand that the Palestinian economy is part of our interest and Israel's security is part of the Palestinian interests," Livni said.

Livni also says Israel supports the idea of compensating⁷ Israeli settlers who agree to leave settlements in the West Bank, although she says the idea still has a long way to go.

Continued Israeli construction activity in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has become a major point of contention⁸ in the talks between Israelis and Palestinians - with Palestinians saying such construction violates existing agreements between the two sides - and could jeopardize⁹ a final peace agreement.  Israel says it will continue to build in areas it intends to permanently¹⁰ keep as part of an eventual¹¹ settlement with the Palestinians.

After her talks with Jordan's King Abdullah and President Abbas in Amman, Rice returns to Jerusalem for talks Monday with the Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams.  She then returns to Amman for a final consultation¹² with Mr. Abbas. 

1 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

2 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。

3 viability   

n.存活(能力)

参考例句：

• What is required to achieve or maintain such viability? 要达到或维持这种生存能力需要什么？
• Scientists are experimenting to find ways to ensure the viability of seeds for even longer periods of time. 正如我们所说，科学家正在试验努力寻找让种子的生命力更加延长的方法。

4 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

5 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

6 militancy   

n.warlike behavior or tendency

参考例句：

• Full of militancy and revolutionary ardour, the people of all nationalities in the country are working hard for the realization of the four modernizations. 全国各族人民意气风发， 斗志昂扬，为实现四个现代化而奋战。
• The seniority system is another factor that leads to union militancy. 排资论辈制度也是导致工会好斗争的另一因素。

7 compensating   

补偿，补助，修正

参考例句：

• I am able to set up compensating networks of nerve connections. 我能建立起补偿性的神经联系网。
• It is desirable that compensating cables be run in earthed conduit. 补偿导线最好在地下管道中穿过。

8 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

9 jeopardize   

vt.危及，损害

参考例句：

• Overworking can jeopardize your health.工作过量可能会危及你的健康。
• If you are rude to the boss it may jeopardize your chances of success.如果你对上司无礼，那就可能断送你成功的机会。

10 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

11 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

12 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。