VOA标准英语2009-US Dismayed at Israeli Building Plan for Eas

By Meredith Buel
Washington
17 November 2009

The United States says it is dismayed that Israel has authorized¹ the construction of new housing units in occupied east Jerusalem.

 
A Palestinian boy in the yard of his house in front of a new housing development in east Jerusalem's Jewish Har Homa neighborhood, 21 Sep 2009
Israel has approved construction of 900 new units in mostly Arab east Jerusalem despite objections by the United States and the Palestinians.

Speaking to reporters at the U.S. State Department, spokesman Ian Kelly says the Obama administration is deeply disappointed by the Israeli decision.

"We believe that neither party should engage in any kind of actions that could unilaterally preempt² or appear to preempt negotiations³. I think that we find the Jerusalem planning committee's decision to move forward on the approval process for the expansion of Gilo in Jerusalem as dismaying," said Kelly.

U.S. officials have put pressure on the Israeli government to halt construction of settlements in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Israel annexed⁴ east Jerusalem following the 1967 Middle East war in a move that is not recognized internationally.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says peace talks cannot resume until Israel freezes building in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

So far, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has only offered a limited reduction in new building.

Kelly says the latest move hurts U.S. efforts to get both sides back to the negotiating table.

"This is at a time when we are working to relaunch negotiations and we believe that these actions make it more difficult for our efforts to succeed. So we object to this and we object to other Israeli practices in Jerusalem related to housing, including the continuing pattern of evictions and demolitions⁵ of Palestinian homes," Kelly said.

About 180,000 Israelis live in Jewish settlements built around east Jerusalem.

Israel insists east Jerusalem is part of Israel and rejects efforts to restrict building there.

Palestinians want east Jerusalem to be the capital of a future state they hope to establish in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

U.S. policy says the status of Jerusalem must be resolved through negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians.

1 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

2 preempt   

v.先发制人；先取

参考例句：

• We arrived early at the theatre so as to preempt the front seats.我们早早来到剧院，以便捷足先登占到前排座位。
• He pre-empted any decision to sack him.他预先阻止了所有解雇他的决定。

3 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。

4 annexed   

[法] 附加的，附属的

参考例句：

• Germany annexed Austria in 1938. 1938年德国吞并了奥地利。
• The outlying villages were formally annexed by the town last year. 那些偏远的村庄于去年正式被并入该镇。

5 demolitions   

n.毁坏，破坏，拆毁( demolition的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Randy Couture as Toll Road, an Expendable and demolitions expert. 大卫·萨亚斯饰演加尔扎将军，邪恶的独裁者。 来自互联网
• Allied Demolitions upgrade moved one slot to the left on the Allied HQ UI. 盟军的爆破升级在指挥部界面中左移一格（由于现在没钳子升级了，所以填钳子的位置）。 来自互联网