2007年VOA标准英语-Israel Considers Moving Security Barrier Farthe

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
31 January 2007

Israel's government says it is considering moving the West Bank security barrier eastward¹, farther into the West Bank to enclose two Jewish settlements.  VOA's Jim Teeple reports from Jerusalem, Palestinian officials have condemned² the proposal. 

Palestinians walk next to Israel's controversial separation barrier

Israeli officials confirm that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert could bring a measure before the cabinet that would move Israel's controversial security barrier five kilometers to the East, to enclose the Jewish settlements of Na'aleh and Nili where about 1,500 Jewish settlers live.  If the proposal is carried out it could enclose about 20,000 Palestinians between the security barrier and Israel's 1967 border with the West Bank. 

Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper, which broke the story, says the proposal was made by settlers living in the two settlements.  According to Ha'aretz, Prime Minister Olmert has already approved the plan, something strongly denied by Israeli officials. 

"I would describe it [the proposal] as one that the prime minister asked to be looked into," said Miri Eisin, spokeswoman for Mr. Olmert.  "This is both because the Supreme³ Court asked to look into it, but also because the prime minister has tried as much as possible to make sure the line of the security fence does not do hardship to the Palestinians on the one hand, but on the other hand gives the best security to the citizens of Israel. It has not yet been brought to the cabinet.  He has not changed the cabinet decision.  The prime minister of Israel cannot change a cabinet decision. There has to be a new cabinet decision if there is a change."

Last April, Israel's cabinet approved the current route of the roughly 700-kilometer security barrier.  Their decision to leave the two settlements Na'aleh and Nili outside of the boundaries of the barrier was based in part on an Israeli Supreme Court decision that found parts of the barrier caused disproportionate harm to Palestinians.

Palestinian officials were quick to react to the proposal to reexamine the route of the barrier.  Saeb Erekat, who is the chief Palestinian negotiator with Israel, says if the two settlements are brought inside the security barrier it will hurt recent efforts to revive the Arab-Israeli peace process.

"Well I believe this is extremely dangerous, Na'aleh and Nili they are in the Modi'in sector⁴ of settlements within the 1967 lines actually," he said.  "I believe this will undermine efforts being exerted to revive the peace process and particularly here the efforts of Dr. Rice [U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice] who is exerting maximum efforts with the Israelis, the Palestinians with the Arabs and with the international community in order to revive a meaningful peace process."

If Israel's cabinet does move the security barrier to enclose the two settlements it will be the first time the barrier has been moved to the East. Previous adjustments to the barrier have moved it to the West, closer to Israel's 1967 border.

The separation barrier is about two-thirds complete. The barrier which roughly follows Israel's 1967 border with the West Bank is seen by Israel's government and many of its citizens as a vital defense⁵ against Palestinian suicide bombers⁶.  Palestinians say the barrier, which cuts into sections of the West Bank, is a land grab that is ultimately designed to cripple any future Palestinian state, a charge that Israeli officials strongly deny.

1 eastward   

adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部

参考例句：

• The river here tends eastward.这条河从这里向东流。
• The crowd is heading eastward,believing that they can find gold there.人群正在向东移去，他们认为在那里可以找到黄金。

2 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

3 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

4 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。

5 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。

6 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》