2006年VOA标准英语-Palestinian-Americans Say Israel Denies Them Vi

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
18 September 2006

A Palestinian and his wife, an American of Palestinian origin, argue with Israeli soldiers shortly after their wedding ceremony, as part of a protest against Israeli barrier near Ramallah, July 2006

Some of the leading members of the business community in the Palestinian territories are citizens of other countries. Now, they say, Israel is denying them visas to live and work near their businesses and families. Israel's government denies targeting the business leaders, but many of those affected¹ say they will have to leave their homes and businesses in the next few weeks because their visas have not been renewed.

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Music echoes through the empty corridors of the Plaza² Mall in the West Bank city of Ramallah. These days, few Palestinians have money to spend at the upscale mall.

Palestinians are in the middle of an unprecedented³ economic crisis, following the Hamas victory in Palestinian elections in January. Because Hamas refuses to recognize Israel, international donors⁴ have cut off aid, and Israel has stopped turning over customs and tax revenue it collects on behalf of the Palestinian government.

Now things could get worse. A number of Palestinian business leaders - many of them U.S. citizens - say they will have to leave their homes in Ramallah, and take their money with them. They say Israel is refusing to renew their tourist visas, which they need to enter the West Bank.  

		Sam Bahour

Sam Bahour, a U.S. citizen, originally from Toledo, Ohio, built the Plaza Mall 10 years ago. He says he will have to leave his home and family by October 1, because Israeli officials say his visa will not be renewed.

"It is devastating⁵. The devastation⁶ does not start with the stamp of denied entry at the border. The devastation starts now," he said. "From a family level, I have six-year-old and 12-year-old daughters. Both of them are aware that Dad might not be around shortly. So, the family environment becomes complicated. That takes a toll⁷, especially on my 12-year-old. On the business front, it has also had negative ramifications⁸, because I am not able to engage in long-term projects, because I know there is a possibility I may not be here."

There are many Palestinian business people like Sam Bahour, who hold U.S. or other foreign passports, but who live and work in the Palestinian territories on three-month tourist visas granted by Israel's Ministry⁹ of the Interior.

About six months ago, several noticed their visas were either not being renewed, or they were being given shortened visas, in some cases valid¹⁰ for only a two-week stay. Now, many like Bahour have had the last permit stamped in their passports.

U.S. Consulate¹¹ officials in Jerusalem say about 50 U.S. citizens have notified the Consulate they have been prevented from entering the West Bank over the past few months. Among those either denied entry, or being given shortened visas, are the heads of the local Coca-Cola and consumer products company Proctor and Gamble operations in the Palestinian territories.

Bahour says he and his colleagues believe they are being directly targeted by Israel as part of a broader policy of retaliation¹² against Palestinians since Hamas took control of the government. The group is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union.

But Bahour says Israel is sending the wrong message by forcing some of the leading business people in the Palestinian territories to leave.

"We thought, up until now, that the Israelis wanted us to succeed by creating an alternative society here," he said. "But, their policy indicates they would rather be left with a society of 10-year-old Palestinians, who jump on the back of tanks, when they are 10."

Israeli Interior Ministry spokeswoman Sabina Haddad says tourist visas are only good for visiting Israel, not for living and working in the Palestinian territories.

"They are working here, lots of them. We asked them, if they are working here, and not in Israel, but in the Palestinian Authority, we asked them to get a work permit," she said. "It does not matter, if you are from Russia or America. If you want to come to work in Israel, you need a work permit. So, if you are coming to work inside the territories, you need a work permit, too."

Palestinians say such permits are virtually impossible to get, because they are issued by the Israeli Defense¹³ Forces. A force spokesman contacted by VOA, who asked not to be identified, said such permits are only necessary for areas classified as closed military zones - not for an area like Ramallah.

Naser Abdelkarim is a professor of finance at Bir Zeit University in Ramallah. He warns that, if leading Palestinian business people are forced to leave and take their capital with them, the Palestinian private sector¹⁴ could be crippled.

"Two-thirds of the Palestinian labor¹⁵ force is employed in the private sector. Now, with this restriction¹⁶, I am afraid that private investment will not flow at the level we hoped for," he said. "That will stop the Palestinian economy from any growth in the future."

Those affected by the change in their visa status are some of the best and brightest in the Palestinian territories. In recent weeks, they and their supporters in Israel have launched a vigorous campaign to change what they say is a deliberate Israeli policy to deny them the right to live in the Palestinian territories.

Israeli officials say they are sympathetic to the plight¹⁷ of individuals, but the issue will have to be resolved in the broader context of relations with the Palestinian Authority. They say that will not happen until Hamas, which controls the authority, agrees to meet Israeli and international demands to recognize the Jewish state, renounce¹⁸ violence and recognize previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians.

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

3 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

4 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》

5 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

6 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

8 ramifications   

n.结果，后果( ramification的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These changes are bound to have widespread social ramifications. 这些变化注定会造成许多难以预料的社会后果。
• What are the ramifications of our decision to join the union? 我们决定加入工会会引起哪些后果呢？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

10 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

11 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。

12 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

14 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

15 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

16 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。

17 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。

18 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。