VOA标准英语2008年-Israel Cracks Down on Hamas in the West Bank

Israeli forces on the occupied West Bank raided the Nablus city hall, Wednesday, in the latest move in a wide-ranging crackdown against the Islamist Hamas movement in cities across the West Bank. VOA's Jim Teeple has details from our Jerusalem Bureau.
　
Palestinian men look at sign attached to closed door of shopping mall in West Bank city of Nablus, 08 Jul 2008

In the past week, Israeli troops have raided municipal buildings and shut down schools charities and health clinics on the West Bank that Israel says have ties to Hamas. Tuesday, Israeli troops shut down the largest shopping center in Nablus, saying any businesses that did not vacate the building would have their assets seized.

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev says the crackdown is aimed at stopping Hamas from expanding its operations beyond the Gaza Strip, which Hamas seized last year in a violent takeover - ousting¹ forces loyal to moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

"We are trying to contain the Hamas infrastructure² on the West Bank," Regev said. "Hamas does not seek to control just Gaza. They want to expand their reach and what we are trying to do is limit that. They have all sorts of societies where they use control over civilian³ facilities to strengthen their terrorist control."

As part of the crackdown, Israel's defense⁴ minister recently signed an order banning 36 charities from operating in areas Israel controls. The order allows legal action to be taken against banks or individuals that fund the charities. Israeli officials say Hamas receives as much as $120 million a year from such charities, which raise much of their money overseas.

Israel, the United States and the European Union consider Hamas a terrorist organization for its refusal to recognize Israel or renounce⁵ violence. However, many Palestinians benefit from the schools, medical clinics and food distribution centers that Hamas runs. Hani al-Masri is a political analyst⁶ and independent journalist in the West Bank city, Ramallah. He says the latest crackdown by Israel will likely only increase support for Hamas.

"Because Israel is the occupation, and the occupation when it closes these institutions it closes the institutions that gives the Palestinian people medicine, education et cetera," al Masri said.

Hani al-Masri says the Israeli crackdown on Hamas on the West Bank could also end up hurting the moderate Palestinian government of Mahmoud Abbas.

"It shows the Palestinian Authority in a very bad picture," he said. "It is makes them look something like the tool behind the occupation. It is not very good for President Abbas. It is very bad for him and for the Palestinian Authority."

Israeli officials say their actions are in no way intended to undermine the authority of President Abbas, but are necessary to stop potential attacks against Israelis.

Mark Regev says the Israeli crackdown against Hamas on the West Bank should have no effect on the recent Egyptian-brokered truce⁷ between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

"Absolutely no! The understandings reached with Egypt to reach calm in the South (Gaza) are explicit⁸. They do not include the West Bank and Israel has the right and freedom of action in the West Bank," Regev stressed.

The Israeli actions on the West Bank are not only being condemned⁹ by Hamas supporters there, but also by senior officials of the moderate Palestinian government of President Abbas. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad Wednesday called the raids extremely disruptive, saying they undermine efforts to establish law and order in areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

　

 

1 ousting   

驱逐( oust的现在分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• The resulting financial chaos led to the ousting of Bristol-Myers' s boss. 随后引发的财政混乱导致了百时美施贵宝的总裁下台。
• The ousting of the president has drawn widespread criticism across Latin America and the wider world. 洪都拉斯总统被驱逐时间引起拉丁美洲甚至全世界的广泛批评。

2 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

3 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

4 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。

5 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

6 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

7 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

8 explicit   

adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的

参考例句：

• She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
• He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。

9 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。