VOA常速英语2007年-Middle East Peace Conference Convenes Next Week

By Meredith Buel
Washington
21 November 2007

The United States has invited nearly 50 countries and international organizations to a Middle East peace conference next week designed as a springboard for Israel and the Palestinians to begin negotiations¹ toward a solution of their conflict. As VOA correspondent Meredith Buel reports from Washington, participation² of Arab states in the meeting, to be held at the U.S. Naval³ Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, is considered a key to its success.

It has been seven years since major negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed⁴ in a wave of violence during the second intifada, or uprising against Israeli occupation.

Now the United States has invited Palestinian and Israeli leaders along with foreign ministers from around the world for what analysts⁵ say is a high-stakes gamble to conclude a peace settlement within a year.

All parties consider Arab support for the peace process to be crucial, and countries that do not recognize Israel, such as Syria and Saudi Arabia, have been invited to attend.

This would give added support to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who along with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is seeking a deal creating an independent state for the Palestinians and a long-term peace for Israelis.

The militant⁶ group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and rejects negotiations with Israel, has not been invited.

Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, David Welch, calls the conference an opportunity to initiate⁷ talks aimed at a wide-ranging peace plan for the Middle East.

"This is a serious effort," said David Welch. "It is devoted⁸ to a serious purpose, that is the launch of negotiations toward a two-state solution and that has long been a request from the Arab countries and now they will see it being met. It is, in our judgment⁹, an appropriate time for them to play a role in exercising their responsibility to lead toward comprehensive peace in the Middle East, too."

Both President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert appointed negotiators to write a joint¹⁰ document of principles for a future peace deal to be presented in Annapolis.

The negotiators, however, have not been able to agree on a detailed¹¹ text and a more general joint statement is expected to be released at the conference.

David Makovsky is the director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Makovsky says Bush administration officials have worked hard to lower expectations about the outcome of the meeting.

"Basically the idea that some had and maybe you saw a lot in the media, was that Annapolis would be the scene of a diplomatic breakthrough and would mark a culmination," said David Makovsky. "When in fact, the way it is now, it is clear Annapolis is more a beginning, a launch and will not have a grand statement of a diplomatic breakthrough."

For years Dennis Ross was the chief U.S. negotiator during previous efforts to broker¹² a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

Ross says it is important that there are firm plans in place to begin tough negotiations on final status issues such as borders, refugees and the future of Jerusalem immediately following the Annapolis conference.

"You have got to show this was not, in fact, just a photo-op," said Dennis Ross. "You have to show it was not just stagecraft, where you stage an event. There has to be statecraft where you have follow-on objectives and you have follow-on means designed to pursue what you are doing."

In addition to moves on the diplomatic front, the Bush administration is proposing a substantial boost in the amount of financial aid to the Palestinian Authority.

The president has asked Congress to approve an increase of more than $400 million in additional aid, on top of the $77 million requested earlier this year.

David Makovsky of The Washington Institute says Arab countries attending the Annapolis meeting should be asked to pledge significant funds for the Palestinians.

"I think it is obscene that the Arab states have had tripling of oil revenues since 2002," he said. "I think the number you usually hear is $700 billion of profit and yet they have done nothing for the Palestinians. At a time when you want to think that the moderates can deliver, I think you are in a very good position to insist that the Gulf¹³ States, not just the Saudis, do more."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will run the Annapolis conference and President Bush is expected to deliver a major address in Annapolis and meet with the participants.

Former negotiator Dennis Ross says he does not expect Mr. Bush to be as involved as former President Bill Clinton, who once presented his own plan for a peace accord.

"This president will never be like Clinton," he said. "He will never know the issues, he will never throw himself into it and so it is up to her [Secretary Rice]. If she wants to do this she has to take on that kind of a burden. I think she has the backing of the president. I do not think he has the kind of interest in this issue. His preoccupation is elsewhere. It is with Iraq. It is not on this issue."

Both Israel and the Palestinians say the U.S.-backed road map is still the framework for peacemaking.

The road map was first launched in 2003, and is sponsored by the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations. It was never implemented¹⁴ because the Palestinians and Israel failed to meet even the initial requirements of the plan.

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 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

3 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

4 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

5 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

6 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

7 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

8 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

9 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

10 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

11 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

12 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

13 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

14 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句