CNN 2011-05-24

First up today, deadly violence in Baghdad as a string of bombings hits the Iraqi capital. Fifteen explosions went off within hours of each other on Sunday. Iraqi authority said the mix of car bombs and roadside bombs killed at least 18 people and wounded at least 80 others. There's been an increase recently of violence in Iraq. That includes yesterday's attacks. It's raising some concerns about whether or not Iraqi security forces would be able to protect their own country. Britain pulled the last of its combat troops out of Iraq yesterday, and U.S. troops are scheduled to leave Iraq by the start of next year, though Iraqi leaders might ask them to stay longer.

Just the Facts

There is a history of conflict between Israeli and Palestinian people. The areas at the center of that conflict are Gaza and West Bank. Israel took control of these areas in 1967 during the six-day Arab-Israeli War. Right now around 4 million Palestinians live in Gaza and West Bank.

For decades, there have been attempts to make peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. President Obama tried to push for a new start to peace talks at a speech he gave last week. During that speech, he mentioned going back to the pre-1967 war borders, but with exchanges in land that both sides would agree on. The idea did not go over well with Israel's prime minister. Yesterday, President Obama explained what he meant when he gave a speech to AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. He told the conference that the pre-1967 borders should be a starting point for negotiations¹, and that he expects Israelis and the Palestinians to work together to define new borders.

Part of the reason the U.S. is so involved in what's going on in Israel is that the two countries are very close allies. The U.S. has supported Israel since it was founded in 1948. But as B K explains, that friendship was pretty tense lately last week.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was about to leave for the U.S. when President Obama made the announcement that infuriated him.

We believe the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps³.

At the White House Friday, Netanyahu panned the proposal.

These lines are indefensible because they don't take into account, certain changes that have taken place on the ground, demographic changes that have taken place over the last 44 years.

After the initial war of words, the White House hoped the meeting would be a time to kiss and make up.

Obviously there are some differences between us, the precise formulations and language, and that's gonna happen between friends.

We have an enduring bond of friendship between our two countries.

But for all of the niceties, Netanyahu drew a line in the sand, and not only on a return to pre-1967 borders. He said Israel will not negotiate with the Palestinian government supported by Hamas or House of Palestinian refugees.

That's not gonna happen. Everybody knows it's not gonna happen, and I think it's time to tell the Palestinians forthrightly⁴ that it's not gonna happen.

Despite tough words, the U.S. and Israel will remain allies, even past this rough spot. But the tension between the two leaders was palpable. After the President's meeting with Netanyahu, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was peppered with questions about the disagreement on the borders issue. He said the president made clear the pre-1967 border proposal is a starting point, that the mutual² swaps that would create the eventual⁵ borders would be negotiated. The thing is, what the White House considers a starting point, Israel still considers a non-starter, even after the meeting. B K, CNN.Washington.

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 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

3 swaps   

交换( swap的名词复数 )； 交换物，被掉换者

参考例句：

• He swaps his old car for a new motorcycle. 他用旧车换了一辆新摩托车。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语
• Swaps the anchor and end points of the current selection. 交换当前所选内容的定位点和结束点。

4 forthrightly   

ad.言行坦诚地，直率地

参考例句：

• Didn't prevaricate but answered forthrightly and honestly. 毫不欺骗而是坦言相告。
• However in the economic production function that how knowledge contains a level forthrightly? 然而知识如何直接地包含到标准的经济生产函数中？

5 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。