VOA标准英语2009年-Hamas Has Had Long History of Conflict With Isr

The Israeli military has closed in on densely¹ populated areas of the Gaza Strip, seeking to kill gunmen loyal to the militant² group Hamas. Israeli war planes are pounding targets in Gaza as part of an effort to stop rocket attacks aimed at the Jewish state.

Hamas' charter calls for the destruction of Israel, and since its creation in 1987 the militant group has been in a nearly constant state of conflict with the Jewish state.
　

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh next to poster of late Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin, during rally in Gaza city, 15 Dec 2007

Hamas, an acronym³ of an Arabic phrase (Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya) that translates into the Islamic Resistance Movement, grew out of the Muslim Brotherhood⁴, a religious and political organization founded in Egypt.

Hamas' founder⁵ and spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, preached and did charitable work in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which were occupied by Israel after the 1967 Middle East War.

Yassin, a frail⁶ quadriplegic who was nearly blind, established Hamas following the eruption⁷ of the first intifada, the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation.

Yassin was killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2004 and more than 200,000 Palestinians are estimated to have marched at his funeral.

In 2006, Hamas won a surprise victory in legislative⁸ elections in Gaza and the West Bank, defeating Fatah, the party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Hamas took military control of Gaza in 2007, leading Israel to clamp tight restrictions⁹ on the border in an attempt to end rocket attacks from the militant group.

After an Egyptian-mediated cease-fire ended late last year and more rockets came streaming out of Gaza, Israel launched its latest military assault.

"To the Zionist criminals, you will be defeated, God willing," said Mohammed Al Bitawi, a Hamas legislator in the West Bank. "There is no place for you in this land. Not between us and these murderers. You will pay a very high price. This nation will not die and we will not give up, ever."

Perhaps Hamas is best known for recruiting, training and arming suicide bombers¹⁰.

The Council on Foreign Relations estimates Hamas has killed at least 500 people in more than 350 separate terrorist attacks.

During the second intifada, especially between 2001 and 2003, Hamas carried out numerous suicide attacks leading Israel to begin construction of a barrier between the Jewish state and the West Bank.
　

A Palestinian youth pushes a bicycle past the rubble11 of a house after it was hit in an Israeli missile strike in Gaza City, Monday, 12 Jan. 2009

Despite the massive Israeli attacks on Gaza, some analysts¹³ like Thomas Lippman of the Middle East Institute, say Hamas will declare victory after the shooting is over.

"If three guys and two rockets survive and what we used to call a ditto [copying] machine so they can turn out statements, I think Hamas will count this as a political victory," Lippman said.

Many Palestinians have supported Hamas because of its extensive network of social services.

Hamas runs schools, orphanages¹⁴, mosques¹⁵, health care clinics, soup kitchens and sports leagues.

Frequently, the Palestinian Authority has failed to provide such services and many Fatah officials have been accused of corruption¹⁶.

Among Palestinians, Hamas politicians have a reputation for honesty, which helps explain their popularity.
　

Shibley Telhami

The Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland, Shibley Telhami, says the massive destruction in Gaza will make it difficult for Hamas to rule.

"It certainly is going to affect Hamas' capacities," Telhami said. "At some level militarily, at some level politically, they gain a little in public opinion, they might operationally be hurt. But one thing we know that is going to be hurt and that is their governance capacity."

Hamas has long opposed the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Analyst¹² Lippman predicts the Gaza conflict will derail any efforts to rejuvenate¹⁷ the process in the near future.

"It seems to me that Hamas has dictated¹⁸ the agenda here," he said. "I cannot imagine any circumstances under which it would be useful or fruitful to announce some new drive for a comprehensive peace settlement."
　

Barack Obama talks to reporters in Washington, 12 Jan 2008

While the anti-Israeli sentiment is running high in the Arab world, some Middle East analysts say it is critical that U.S. President-elect Barack Obama launch a significant peace initiative soon, at least in part to support Arab governments that back the peace process, but may have been weakened by public anger over the situation in Gaza.

They say countries such as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are engaged in a war of ideas against those who promote confrontation¹⁹ with Israel.

Two-time U.S. ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk spoke²⁰ recently at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

"They are trying to show their people that reconciliation²¹, compromise, peacemaking, tolerance²² is the best way to advance the interests of the Arab people," he said. "The message coming from Hamas and Hezbollah, backed by Iran, is,'Our way works; violence, terrorism, resistance, defiance²³ is the best way to achieve dignity and justice for the Palestinians and the Arabs'."

Historically, much of the funding for Hamas has come from Palestinian expatriates and private donors²⁴ in Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf²⁵ states. Iran also provides considerable support, which some estimates say could amount to $20- to $30 million per year.

The U.S. and European Union have labeled Hamas a terrorist organization, but both have sought an easing of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.

1 densely   

ad.密集地；浓厚地

参考例句：

• A grove of trees shadowed the house densely. 树丛把这幢房子遮蔽得很密实。
• We passed through miles of densely wooded country. 我们穿过好几英里茂密的林地。

2 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。

3 acronym   

n.首字母简略词，简称

参考例句：

• That's a mouthful of an acronym for a very simple technology.对于一项非常简单的技术来说，这是一个很绕口的缩写词。
• TSDF is an acronym for Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities.TSDF是处理，储存和处置设施的一个缩写。

4 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

5 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

6 frail   

adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的

参考例句：

• Mrs. Warner is already 96 and too frail to live by herself.华纳太太已经九十六岁了，身体虚弱，不便独居。
• She lay in bed looking particularly frail.她躺在床上，看上去特别虚弱。

7 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

8 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

9 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

10 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

12 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。

13 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

14 orphanages   

孤儿院( orphanage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It is Rotarians running orphanages for children who have no homes. 扶轮社员们为没有家的孩子办孤儿院。
• Through the years, she built churches, hospitals and orphanages. 许多年来，她盖了一间间的教堂、医院、育幼院。

15 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。

16 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

17 rejuvenate   

v.(使)返老还童；(使)恢复活力

参考例句：

• The mountain air will rejuvenate you.山里的空气会使你恢复活力。
• Exercise is perhaps the most effective way to rejuvenate your skin.锻炼可能是使皮肤恢复活力的最好手段。

18 dictated   

v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• He dictated a letter to his secretary. 他向秘书口授信稿。
• No person of a strong character likes to be dictated to. 没有一个个性强的人愿受人使唤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

20 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

21 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

22 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

23 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

24 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。