New Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will sit down Monday at the White House for his first visit as prime minister with U.S. President Barack Obama. The Obama administration is hoping that the hawkish Israeli leader will also publicly endorse Palestinian statehood for the first time.
以色列新总理内塔尼亚胡星期一将以总理身份首次在白宫会见美国总统奥巴马。奥巴马政府希望这位鹰派以色列领导人能够首次公开支持巴勒斯坦建国。
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has made clear in the past that he does not believe the Palestinians are ready to rule themselves and has not come out publicly in favor of what is referred to as a "two-state solution", with Israel and Palestine co-existing peacefully as neighboring states. But that position clashes with longstanding U.S. policy that supports Palestinian statehood.
以色列总理内塔尼亚胡过去曾明确表示，他不相信巴勒斯坦人已经对自治做好准备，同时他也没有公开出来支持以色列和巴勒斯坦作为两个睦邻国家和平共存的所谓“两国并存解决办法”。他的立场和美国的长期以来的政策有冲突，美国支持建立一个巴勒斯坦国。
Speaking in Jordan Sunday, Israeli President Shimon Peres said Mr. Netanyahu would abide by agreements signed by his predecessors.
以色列总统佩雷斯星期天在约旦说，内塔尼亚胡将遵守他的前任所签署的协议。
"He said he will abide by the resolutions of the previous governments," said Shimon Peres. "And in those resolutions you have the road map, the road map is based on a two-state solution, it is divided in two parts, you don't start right away with full answers to all the questions."
他说：“他将遵守历届政府的协议。在那些决议中有路线图，路线图的基础是两国并存的解决方案，它分为两个步骤，你不需要马上开始对所有的问题提供充分的答案。”
But Mr. Peres also made clear that progress depends on an end to attacks by Hamas militants and greater Palestinian efforts to ensure Israel's security.
不过，佩雷斯也明确表示，进展取决于哈马斯武装人员停止攻击以及巴勒斯坦人做出更大的努力，以确保以色列的安全。
Just before Mr. Netanyahu left for Washington Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said he thought peace with the Palestinians could be achieved within three years.
就在内塔尼亚胡星期天前往华盛顿之际，以色列国防部长埃胡德.巴拉克说，他认为与巴勒斯坦人的和平可以在三年之内达成。
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said he believes President Obama has a clear choice.
巴勒斯坦首席谈判代表埃雷卡特说，他相信奥巴马总统有一个明确的选择。
"He can continue treating Israel in the cost free road as a country above the laws of man and apply double standards," said Saeb Erakat. "Or he can choose to have Israel comply, accepting the two-state solution agreement signed and stopping settlement activities, including natural growth. If he chooses to have Israel comply, I think he can open a new chapter in this region's history. If he chooses to continue with the cost free road, treating Israel as a country above the laws of man, I think we are doomed."
埃雷卡特说：“奥巴马可以继续把以色列成为一个能够凌驾在人类法律之上自行其是的国家，从而实行双重标准，或者他也可以选择让以色列遵守规则，接受两国并存解决办法的协议，并停止包括自然增长在内的建立定居点的活动。如果他选择了让以色列遵守规则，我想他可以在中东历史掀开一页新篇章。如果他选择继续让以色列自行其是，把以色列作为可以凌驾在人类法律之上的国家，我想那是注定要失败的。”
With President Obama focused on reviving Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, and Prime Minister Netanyahu more likely to focus on the Iranian nuclear issue, some analysts have wondered whether there is likely to be an open clash between the two leaders.
奥巴马总统侧重于恢复以、巴和谈，而以色列总理内塔尼亚胡可能会更关注伊朗核问题。一些分析人士对美国和以色列领导人之间是否会公开冲突表示关注。
Foreign Affairs Editor Jim Hoge says he believes a public clash is unlikely.
外交事务杂志编辑吉姆霍格说，他认为不太可能发生公开冲突。
"I think that if this was the first Netanyahu government, way back, that there might have been a real clash and there might have been a follow-up of charges, if not directly from either of them, from parties to them," said Jim Hoge. "But the Netanyahu this time around I think is more disciplined, probably his pragmatic streak is closer to the surface."
吉姆霍格说：“我认为，如果这是第一届内塔尼亚胡政府，那是很久以前的事情了，那倒有可能发生真正的冲突，甚至可能还会引发后续的抨击，如果不是来自他们中的任何一人，也可能会来自他们的党派。但是，我认为这一次内塔尼亚胡更有克制，从表象上看也许他更加务实。”
Elliot Abrams, who served as deputy national security adviser in the Bush administration, agrees.
曾经在布什时代担任过副国家安全顾问的阿布拉姆斯也表示同意。
"I don't think that at this point it does much good for either man, certainly it doesn't for Netanyahu, to appear to be in a clash," said Elliot Abrams. "I think the question that emerges really is Day 2 and Day 3 what are the kind of leaks you get."
艾略特阿布拉姆斯说：“我不认为在目前的局面下(公开冲突)会对两位领导人中的任何一人有好处，显然对似乎处于冲突中的内塔尼亚胡没有好处。我认为问题也许会出在会谈的第二天或第三天，这将取决于泄露出来的信息。”
Abrams said the two leaders' staff members might reveal what kind of first impression they made on each other by leaking details of the meeting to the press.
艾布拉姆斯说，两国领导人的工作人员可能通过向新闻界披露他们问候对方的情况来揭示彼此的第一印象是什么。 |