VOA常速英语2007年-Israel Says It Will Release More Than 400 Pales

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
12 November 2007

Israel's prime minister says more than 400 Palestinian prisoners could be released this month before an upcoming Middle East peace conference. VOA's Jim Teeple has details from our Jerusalem bureau.

Speaking before the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Defense¹ Committee, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says plans to release about 400 Palestinian prisoners are intended as a confidence-building measure before a planned Mideast Peace conference, to be held in Annapolis, Maryland at the end of the month.

Foreign Ministry² spokesman Mark Regev says the goal is to boost Palestinian moderates like President Mahmoud Abbas.

"We are of course interested in showing the Palestinian leadership that moderation pays and this sort of confidence-building measure can help to energize³ a process of reconciliation⁴ that we really want," he said.

At the same time, Regev says Israel is unlikely to ease roadblocks and checkpoints in the West Bank that hinder the movement of Palestinians.

"Everyone I think understands, including the Palestinian leadership that if Israel moves in an irresponsible way - if we move too quickly and a security vacuum is created - then extremists - groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad will come into the vacuum they will launch a whole series of extremist and terrorist operations and that will kill the peace process," Regev said.

Palestinians have harshly criticized the restrictions⁵ on their movement. The head of the Palestinian negotiating team, former prime minister Ahmed Qureia, had to cancel a meeting Sunday with Israel's Foreign Minister because he could not pass through a West Bank checkpoint.

Saeb Erekat, another senior Palestinian negotiator told the Voice of Palestine radio that Palestinians will welcome their prisoners home, but negotiators had hoped that Israel would release up to 2,000 prisoners.

Erekat says unilateral actions like the prisoner release should be made in cooperation with the Palestinians as part of an overall agreement with the Palestinians to reduce tensions.

Erekat also rejected a demand made by Prime Minister Olmert on Monday that Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

Meanwhile about a half-a-dozen Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip on Monday when gunfire broke out at a rally called by the Fatah political organization to celebrate the third anniversary of the death former Palestinian President, Yasser Arafat. Fatah accused Hamas gunmen of firing on the rally, while Hamas accused Fatah of starting the shooting. It was the most serious outbreak of violence in the Gaza Strip since Hamas took over the territory in June.

1 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。

2 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。

3 energize   

vt.给予(某人或某物)精力、能量

参考例句：

• It is used to energize the city.它的作用是为城市供给能量。
• This is a great way to energize yourself and give yourself more power!这种方法非常棒，可以激活你的能量，让你有更多的活力！

4 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制