2007年VOA标准英语-Arab Foreign Ministers Visit Israel

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
25 July 2007

The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan held talks in Jerusalem with Israeli leaders on Wednesday. It was the first-ever visit to Israel by leaders representing the Arab League. VOA's Jim Teeple reports from Jerusalem that Israel's relations with the Palestinians were at the top of the agenda of the talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (L) shakes hands with Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdel Ilah al-Khatib (R) as Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit (C) looks on before their meeting at Olmert's offices in Jerusalem, 25 July 2007

The Jordanian and Egyptian foreign ministers came to Jerusalem to discuss the Arab League Peace Plan, first proposed in 2002 by Saudi Arabia. Under the plan, if Israel withdraws to its 1967 borders, the 22-members of the Arab League will extend full diplomatic recognition to Israel.

Israel says it will consider aspects of the plan, but has so far ruled out a full withdrawal¹ from the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories it captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Israel has also rejected an addendum² to the plan that calls for right of return of all Palestinian refugees to their former homes.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni says the Arab League can help move the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians forward.

"I believe that this point in time is a crucial point in time and there is an opportunity here. I believe the Arab Peace Initiative and a dialogue with the Arab working group is an historic opportunity for Israeli-Arab relations but no less important, the Israeli Palestinian process," she said. "I believe there is a need to promote a process between Israel and the Palestinians and of the importance of the Arab League in helping³ to support Israelis and Palestinians to take the right steps and in making this vision of a two-state solution more concrete."

Both Egypt and Jordan have full diplomatic relations with Israel and their envoys⁴ said Wednesday they were not in Israel to negotiate on behalf of Palestinians, but rather to encourage a process of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians.

Egypt's foreign minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, says progress in relations between Israel and the rest of the Arab world will largely depend on progress between Israel and the Palestinians.

"A lot of the responses of the region will depend on the bilateral⁵ [Israeli-Palestinian] talks. That is the crux⁶ of the Arab position, and I think they understand today in Israel that we are coming forward and we are offering, but do what is necessary and what is needed with the Palestinians," he said. "This is the message."

The foreign ministers' visit to Israel comes as the Palestinian territories are now divided between Hamas militants⁷, who control Gaza, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who controls the West Bank.

Jordan's foreign minister, Abdul Ilah Khatib, says it is important to remember that President Abbas enjoys the full support of the Arab League.

"The Arab peace initiative enjoys the consensus⁸ of all Arab member states of the Arab League, including the Palestinian Authority," he said. "This is why we need to express our full support to the Palestinian Authority and its leader Mahmoud Abbas and his government as the legitimate⁹ and qualified¹⁰ and willing partner to engage in serious negotiations¹¹ with Israel in order to achieve a final status agreement between Israel and the Palestinians establishing an independent Palestinian state and offering Israel the security it needs."

President Abbas said Wednesday he is moving closer to calling new legislative¹² elections - a move rejected by Hamas. Mr. Abbas' Fatah movement lost legislative elections to Hamas in early 2006, precipitating¹³ the current Palestinian crisis. Mr. Abbas also disclosed that outside negotiators have offered to try to mediate¹⁴ the dispute between Fatah and Hamas, but he will not speak with Hamas leaders unless they agree to share power with Fatah in Gaza where Hamas seized control last month.

1 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

2 addendum   

n.补充，附录

参考例句：

• This is an addendum to the book.这是本书的附录。
• Six parts and one addendum are separated in the paper.论文由六章和一个附录组成。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 envoys   

使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份

参考例句：

• the routine tit for tat when countries expel each other's envoys 国家相互驱逐对方使节这种惯常的报复行动
• Marco Polo's travelogue mentions that Kublai Khan sent envoys to Malgache. 马可波罗游记中提到忽必烈曾派使节到马尔加什。

5 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

6 crux   

adj.十字形；难事，关键，最重要点

参考例句：

• The crux of the matter is how to comprehensively treat this trend.问题的关键是如何全面地看待这种趋势。
• The crux of the matter is that attitudes have changed.问题的要害是人们的态度转变了。

7 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

8 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

9 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

10 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

11 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。

12 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

13 precipitating   

adj.急落的，猛冲的v.（突如其来地）使发生( precipitate的现在分词 )；促成；猛然摔下；使沉淀

参考例句：

• Precipitating electrode plate is a key part in electrostatic precipitation equipment. 静电收尘板是静电收尘设备中的关键部件。 来自互联网
• The precipitation bond adopts a sloped tube to enhance the precipitating efficiency. 沉淀池采用斜管，提高了沉降效率。 来自互联网

14 mediate   

vi.调解，斡旋；vt.经调解解决；经斡旋促成

参考例句：

• The state must mediate the struggle for water resources.政府必须通过调解来解决对水资源的争夺。
• They may be able to mediate between parties with different interests.他们也许能在不同利益政党之间进行斡旋。