Abbas Submits Palestinian Statehood Application

 　　Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas formally asked the U.N. Security Council Friday to recognize a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu countered that statehood should only follow a negotiated peace accord, and the international Quartet on the Middle East called for new direct talks under a strict time-frame.

　　The long-awaited and controversial move by the Palestinians culminated¹ in a 10-minute meeting at the United Nations, at which Abbas formally submitted the written statehood application to U.N. Secretary General Ban ki-moon.

　　A half-hour later the Palestinian Authority chief, addressing the U.N. General Assembly and greeted by loud ovations², appealed for international support for what he termed Palestine’s “appointment with history."

　　Through an interpreter he said, “I say the time has come for my courageous³ and proud people, after decades of colonial occupation and ceaseless suffering, to live like other peoples of the earth - free, in a sovereign and independent homeland.”

　　Abbas said no one “with a shred⁴ of conscience” could reject the Palestinian application for full U.N. membership.

　　While denouncing Israeli policies, including erection of what he termed a “racist annexation⁵ wall” around West Bank, he said the Palestinians are ready to immediately return to peace talks with Israel - on the basis of a complete settlement freeze.

　　Abbas said, through an interpreter, “Our efforts are not aimed at isolating⁶ Israel or de-legitimizing. Rather, we want to gain legitimacy⁷ for the people of Palestine. We only aim to de-legitimize the settlement activity, the occupation and apartheid, and the logic⁸ of ruthless force. And we believe that all the countries of the world stand with us in this regard.”

　　The Palestinian action came despite U.S. and European warnings that statehood - over Israel’s objections and outside of peace talks - would inflame⁹ tensions and set back hopes for an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord.

　　In his U.N. address, shortly after the Abbas speech, the Israeli prime minister said Israel will support Palestinian statehood, but only after a negotiated peace accord that guarantees Israel’s security.

　　He said Israel left Gaza, uprooting¹⁰ settlements in 2005 to international applause, but was rewarded with a takeover of Gaza, and rocket attacks, by the militant¹¹ Hamas.

　　“Israel is prepared to have a Palestinian state in the West Bank, but we’re not prepared to have another Gaza there. And that’s why we need to have real security arrangements, which the Palestinians simply refuse to negotiate with us,” said Netanyahu.

　　He said the core issue of the conflict is not settlements, but the Palestinians’ refusal to accept a Jewish state in any borders.

　　Netanyahu renewed a challenge to Abbas to reopen negotiations¹² without preconditions this week, while they are both in New York.

　　"Who’s there to stop us? What is there to stop us? If we genuinely want peace, what is there to stop us from meeting today and beginning peace negotiations?” asked Netanyahu.

　　The Security Council may take weeks, or even months, to act on the statehood application.

　　In the meantime, the United States and the other members of the Middle East Quartet - the European Union, Russia and the United Nations - offered a new proposal for direct talks Friday.

　　They called for the two parties to come up with comprehensive proposals on territory and security within three months, and to reach a final deal no later than the end of 2012. The Quartet will hold a conference in Moscow to press a deal, and there would be a separate donor¹³ conference to boost Palestinian state-building efforts.

1 culminated   

v.达到极点( culminate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• a gun battle which culminated in the death of two police officers 一场造成两名警察死亡的枪战
• The gala culminated in a firework display. 晚会以大放烟火告终。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 ovations   

n.热烈欢迎( ovation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Everywhere they appeared there were ovations. 他们出现在哪儿，哪儿就是一片欢呼声。 来自辞典例句
• There were notable standing ovations for the Iraqi and the Palestinian teams. 而且引人注目的是，伊拉克和巴勒斯坦代表团还受到了持久的掌声欢迎。 来自互联网

3 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

4 shred   

v.撕成碎片，变成碎片；n.碎布条，细片，些少

参考例句：

• There is not a shred of truth in what he says.他说的全是骗人的鬼话。
• The food processor can shred all kinds of vegetables.这架食品加工机可将各种蔬菜切丝切条。

5 annexation   

n.吞并，合并

参考例句：

• He mentioned the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910 .他提及1910年日本对朝鲜的吞并。
• I regard the question of annexation as belonging exclusively to the United States and Texas.我认为合并的问题，完全属于德克萨斯和美国之间的事。

6 isolating   

adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
• This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句

7 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

8 logic   

n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性

参考例句：

• What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑？
• I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。

9 inflame   

v.使燃烧；使极度激动；使发炎

参考例句：

• Our lack of response seemed to inflame the colonel.由于我们没有反应,好象惹恼了那个上校。
• Chemical agents manufactured by our immune system inflame our cells and tissues,causing our nose to run and our throat to swell.我们的免疫系统产生的化学物质导致我们的细胞和组织发炎，导致我们流鼻水和我们的喉咙膨胀。

10 uprooting   

n.倒根，挖除伐根v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的现在分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园

参考例句：

• He is hard at work uprooting wild grass in the field. 他正在田里辛苦地芟夷呢。 来自互联网
• A storm raged through the village, uprooting trees and flattening crops. 暴风雨袭击了村庄，拔起了树木，吹倒了庄稼。 来自互联网

11 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。

12 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。

13 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。