2007年VOA标准英语-Analysts Examine Possibility for Middle East Pe

By Sean Maroney
New York
20 June 2007

In 1967, Israel countered what it saw as a threat of annihilation by its neighbors and defeated three Arab armies in six days. As a result, Israel nearly tripled the terroritory under its control and began an occupation of land shared by Palestinian refugees. VOA's Sean Maroney reports from New York on what some analysts¹ say needs to be done to bring peace to the region.

Forty years after the Six-Day War, a new obstacle is threatening the existence of a future Palestinian state.

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Palestinian Hamas militant talks on radio in front of a mural showing the late Fatah leader Yasser Arafat outside his former compound in Gaza City, 16 June 2007

The violent takeover of the Gaza Strip by the Islamic militant group Hamas recently has split the Palestinian government into two political camps. The moderate Fatah faction³ led by President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank wants to seek peace with Israel, and Hamas in Gaza is refusing to recognize Israel or renounce⁴ violence.

The international community led by the United States had cut off aid to the Hamas-led government since Hamas won the Parliament election last year. However, aid resumed this week after President Abbas formed a new emergency government without Hamas.

Robert Malley with the International Crisis Group says the international community should not tie the Palestinian president's hands with humanitarian⁵ aid.

"We should not be telling [Mr. Abbas], 'don't stop flirting⁶ with Hamas again,' because he's going to have to for his own good and the good of the peace process and stability," said Malley.

Dennis Ross is a Middle East expert with the Washington Institute. He says Hamas is ultimately responsible for international aid to the region.

"I support the idea that we should provide humanitarian assistance," he said. "We do not want to create a humanitarian disaster within Gaza, but whether there should be assistance above subsistence, or assistance that goes beyond humanitarian, that depends upon Hamas."

Ross, who was a special Middle East envoy⁷ in the Clinton administration, says Hamas' actions and stance toward Israel could lead to more violence.

"If rocket fire continues out of Gaza and hits Asdod, or worse because now they are smuggling⁸ in rockets that have a longer range, you start hitting Ashkelon, Israel doesn't have a choice - they go in to Gaza under those circumstances," said Ross.

He says that type of escalation⁹ could echo last year's violence between Israel and Lebanon.

Both the United States and Israel are backing Palestinian President Abbas in his political battle with Hamas. Beside Israel, the European Union and the United States also consider Hamas as a terrorist group.

1 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。

2 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。

3 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

4 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。

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

6 flirting   

v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Don't take her too seriously; she's only flirting with you. 别把她太当真，她只不过是在和你调情罢了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• 'she's always flirting with that new fellow Tseng!" “她还同新来厂里那个姓曾的吊膀子！ 来自子夜部分

7 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

8 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

9 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句