VOA标准英语2009年-Israel's Cabinet Rejects UN War Crimes Rep

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
18 October 2009

Israel is brushing off last week's resolution of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which endorsed¹ a report accusing the Jewish state of war crimes during the Gaza conflict.

 
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and Education Minister Gideon Saar, attend the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, 18 Oct 2009
Israel's Cabinet angrily rejected the United Nations resolution, saying the army's three-week assault on the Gaza Strip last December and January was legitimate² self-defense.

Israel will defend itself at any price," said Cabinet Minister Yossi Peled. "This is a duty and a right."

The Goldstone Report endorsed by the U.N. Human Right Council on Friday accuses Israel of war crimes during the Gaza conflict. But the Cabinet said Israel was responding to years of Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza, which is ruled by the Islamic militant³ group Hamas. The report also accuses Hamas of war crimes, but the international focus has been on Israeli actions which killed at least 1,100 Palestinians, many of them civilians⁴.

Cabinet Minster Yuval Shteinitz accused the international community of a double standard.

Steinitz said it is an anti-Semitic resolution in which the same right of self-defense that is allowed to the United States in Afghanistan and Russia in Chechnya is denied to Israel in the Gaza Strip.

The Goldstone Report will now go to the U.N. Security Council which could refer it to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Steinitz warned that if the Palestinians continue to incite⁵ against Israel in every international forum⁶, it will harm the peace process.

He said Israel "will not continue to turn the other cheek." 

1 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 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。

4 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

5 incite   

v.引起，激动，煽动

参考例句：

• I wanted to point out he was a very good speaker, and could incite a crowd.我想说明他曾是一个非常出色的演讲家，非常会调动群众的情绪。
• Just a few words will incite him into action.他只需几句话一将，就会干。

6 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。