VOA标准英语2009年-Netanyahu: Building in West Bank Settlemen

A U.S. demand to curb¹ settlement activity topped the agenda at Israel's weekly Cabinet meeting. The government is divided over the issue, as we hear from
　
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, 24 May 2009

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet that Israel will not build new West Bank settlements, but it will continue construction in existing communities to accommodate "natural growth." The announcement follows a White House summit last week, during which U.S. President Barack Obama urged Mr. Netanyahu to halt settlement activity.

In response, Defense² Minister Ehud Barak said he intends to dismantle³ 22 illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank. and if the settlers resist, he said, they will be removed by force.

Cabinet Minister Yitzhak Herzog is from Barak's dovish Labor⁴ Party.

Herzog told reporters the outposts, which often consist of just a few trailers and makeshift structures, are a blight⁵ on Israel's image. He said they must be removed to show the international community that Israel is serious about advancing the peace process.

The internationally-backed "Roadmap" peace plan demands that Israel remove the outposts as a first step toward a settlement freeze. But key members of Mr. Netanyahu's right-wing government want something in return.

Nationalist Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the outposts should not be dismantled⁶ until the Palestinians keep their commitments under the Roadmap and crack down on terrorist groups.

Cabinet Minister Eli Yishai of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party said the peace process is a two-way street.

He said Israel cannot halt building in the settlements while illegal Palestinian construction, which he described as "rampant," is ignored.

Palestinian officials say they will not resume peace talks with Israel until Mr. Netanyahu agrees to freeze construction in the settlements.

1 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

4 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

5 blight   

n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残

参考例句：

• The apple crop was wiped out by blight.枯萎病使苹果全无收成。
• There is a blight on all his efforts.他的一切努力都遭到挫折。

6 dismantled   

拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消

参考例句：

• The plant was dismantled of all its equipment and furniture. 这家工厂的设备和家具全被拆除了。
• The Japanese empire was quickly dismantled. 日本帝国很快被打垮了。