VOA标准英语2010年-US Consults Allies About Gaza Blockade

President Barack Obama meets with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, 09 Jun 2010

UN Security Council Calls for Impartial¹, Credible² Investigation³ of Israeli Boat Raid
The United States is consulting with its allies over proposals to lift the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip following the raid by commandoes on an aid flotilla that led to the deaths of nine pro-Palestinian activists⁴ from Turkey. U.S. President Barack Obama says the current situation is inherently unstable⁵ and the humanitarian⁶ condition in Gaza needs to substantially improve.

Shortly after the Israeli commando raid protesters throughout Europe and the Middle East took to the streets to demand the end of the blockade on the Gaza Strip.

While the U.S. has not joined international calls to condemn⁷ Israel, American diplomats⁸ are talking with partners in the region and Europe to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

During a recent meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas President Obama called the current situation unsustainable.

"It seems to me that we should be able to take what has been a tragedy and turn it into an opportunity to create a situation where lives in Gaza are actually directly improved," he said.

Israel closed the border with Gaza after Hamas seized power in the territory in 2007. Israel wants to keep militants⁹ from obtaining weapons such as rockets that have been fired on civilians¹⁰ inside the Jewish state.

 

The Israeli raid on the aid flotilla sparked an outcry and put intense international attention on the situation in Gaza, a narrow coastal¹¹ strip with 1.5 million Palestinians.

"The international consensus¹² about maintaining this closure of Gaza has broken down badly and it is no longer sustainable," said Michele Dunn, editor of the Arab Reform Bulletin at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Some Middle East analysts¹³ say it is no secret that the Gaza blockade has not significantly weakened Hamas, which Israel and the United States say is an Iranian-backed terrorist organization.

During the flotilla raid eight of those killed were Turks and one was a Turkish-American.

The incident severely¹⁴ strained the bond between Turkey and Israel, which until recently had enjoyed relatively¹⁵ warm relations.

Nathan Brown, a professor and scholar on Arab politics at George Washington University, says ending the blockade in Gaza is now more difficult.

"So if you are going to end it, you end it on your terms and your time or you wait until there is a crisis," said Brown. "Right now it is a propaganda victory for Hamas. Turkish public opinion is now directly engaged. It is a far messier situation."

Israel had hoped that negotiations¹⁶ on what Palestinians call the siege of Gaza would result in the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Gaza-based militants in a cross-border raid into Israel in 2006.

Middle East analysts say the international community will now need to negotiate an agreement to ease the blockade of Gaza.

"As long as Gilad Shalit is there it is going to be very difficult for any Israeli government to suddenly say ok, we are going to change our policy. So we have to come up with some kind of a global deal," said Henri Barkey, a professor at Lehigh University.

Analysts say there is no internationally recognized authority at the border of Gaza and whatever steps are taken to provide security will have to involve the Palestinian Authority reconciling or at least cooperating with Hamas.

"It would really be a mistake, and I am sure the United States would not go in this direction, to give Hamas that authority on its own," said Michele Dunn of Carnegie.

The attack on the aid flotilla came as American-mediated indirect talks between the Israelis and Palestinians are getting underway.

The talks are a top foreign policy priority for President Obama.

"In the long run the only real way to solve this problem is to make sure that we've got a Palestinian state side by side with an Israel that is secure," said Mr. Obama. "And so we're going to be dealing¹⁷ with these short-term problems, but we also have to keep our eye on the horizon and recognize that it's that long-term issue that has to be focused on."

The United States has expressed sympathy with the plight¹⁸ of the Palestinians in Gaza, but insists any solution to the blockade must also meet Israel's security needs.
 

1 impartial   

adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的

参考例句：

• He gave an impartial view of the state of affairs in Ireland.他对爱尔兰的事态发表了公正的看法。
• Careers officers offer impartial advice to all pupils.就业指导员向所有学生提供公正无私的建议。

2 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

6 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

7 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

8 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 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。

10 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

11 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

12 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

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 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

15 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

16 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。

17 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

18 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。