VOA标准英语2008年-Wide Gaps Emerge in New Israel-Syria Peace Talk

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
03 June 2008

Wide gaps have emerged in new negotiations¹ between Israel and Syria. Robert Berger reports from the VOA bureau in Jerusalem.
　

Bashar al-Assad

Peace talks hit an early snag over the scope of an Israeli withdrawal² from the strategic Golan Heights, captured from Syria during the 1967 Mideast war. Israel responded angrily to published remarks by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who said an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan must go all the way to Tiberias, a city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. That would mean that Syria would control the eastern shore of the lake - territory it did not hold before the war.

Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz had this response during a visit to the Golan Heights.
　

Shaul Mofaz (file photo)

"Syria is not ready for peace," he said, adding that "they are up to their necks in terrorism." That was a reference to Syria's support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestinian militant³ groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. But what most worries Israel are Syria's ties with Iran.

Mofaz said if Israel hands over the Golan to Syria, Iran would move in. And with Iran allegedly seeking nuclear weapons and threatening to wipe the Jewish state "off the map," that is the last thing that Israel wants.

Mofaz's comments point to a dilemma⁴ facing Israel. On the one hand, it wants to lure⁵ Syria into the camp of the Arab moderates and away from the militants⁶ led by Iran. On the other hand, as Mofaz put it, the Golan is a strategic asset and giving it up is inconceivable.

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

5 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

6 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。