VOA标准英语2009-West Bank Jewish Settlements Pose Obstacle t

Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank - home to about 300,000 Israelis - are a crucial issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and one that threatens to derail prospects¹ for peace. U.S. President Barack Obama, in his speech to the Muslim world this month, called for a freeze on all settlement activity. Washington has said in no uncertain terms that Israel's expansion of existing settlements must stop. Israeli compliance² with the U.S. demand will not come easily.
　
Jewish settlers wash cement off their feet after laying foundation of new building in West Bank outpost of Maoz Esther, 28 May 2009

Yitzhar, a hilltop community near the West Bank city of Nablus, is home to about 500 Jewish residents.

One of them is Benjamin Allen, a Jew originally from the United States who came here nearly ten years ago. He earns his living as a construction worker and also by working part-time at a grocery store in the settlement. He and his family have established roots here, and he says leaving is not an option.

"It would destroy me. And I think that if we, God forbid, have to leave here, it's the end."

Yitzhar sits on land captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day war.

Low property prices and tax incentives³ are some of the reasons Israeli Jews have come to live at remote, fenced-in communities like Yitzhar.

But it is ideology⁴ tied to roots in the ancient past that has driven many - including Allen - to settle here.

"We did not come back here as Israelis, we came back as Jews," said Allen. "This part of the land where I live, where we live, is where Abraham walked, and Isaac walked, and Jacob walked. This is Jewish land as far as I'm concerned."

In his speech this month, President Obama said the U.S. supports a two-state solution with the West Bank and Gaza Strip forming the Palestinian state, living peaceably alongside Israel.

But for Palestinians, settlements like Yitzhar encroach on land that has been theirs for centuries, and are an obstacle to the creation of an independent state.

In the nearby Arab village of Asira al-Qabaliya, Hiyam Suleiman and her family earn a living from growing saffron and other herbs. She says villagers have lost access to their fields. She says there will be no peace as long as the settlers are here.

She says her family's land is beyond the hill, on the other side of the settlement. She says her relatives cannot reach it because the settlers will not let them go over there.
　
A medic attends a Palestinian farmer after Jewish settlers from a nearby settlement in the northern West Bank allegedly attacked him as he harvested olives, 11 Oct 2008

Last September, Asira al-Qabaliya was the scene of violence when scores of residents from the Yitzhar settlement stormed the village and attacked Palestinian residents.

Residents recorded the violence. The tape was then made public by the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem. It shows Jewish settlers moving in on Palestinian homes and hurling⁵ rocks.

Gunfire broke out. Witnesses say some of the Jews were armed. Footage shows Israeli soldiers standing⁶ by, watching.

Yitzhar, like most settlements is closely guarded due to past attacks from Palestinians who are angry over the settlers' presence.

Witnesses say the attack in September on Asira al-Qabaliya was retaliation⁷ after an Arab intruder entered Yitzhar, set a house on fire, and stabbed a Jewish child.

In the subsequent violence, at least four Palestinians were shot.

Hiyam Suleiman witnessed the attacks. She wants the settlers to leave.

She says this is no life for her and her family. She says she and her family want to be free. An Arab - she says - should be free in his own house. She says if a person is attacked, of course he will strike back because his dignity has been lost.

Hiyam's husband, Nabil Assaideh, says he hopes Palestinian leaders and the United States increase pressure on Israel to remove all Jewish settlements from the West Bank.

He says there will never be peace as long as the settlements are here. He says Israel has to remove all the settlements. Once that happens, he believes everyone will coexist. He says this land is the home of three religions: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism and he says no one should be attacking one another.

Benjamin Allen believes the existence of this and other West Bank settlements is crucial for the survival of the State of Israel. He hopes the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will stand firm against U.S. pressure to freeze the settlements.

"I hope when I hear what they say that they mean it and I hope that they don't cave into the pressure because I think the pressure on Israel from the EU and America is just going to increase as time goes by," said Allen.

Removing the settlements will not come easily. But without an agreement on them, analysts⁸ say peace between Israel and the Palestinians will be unlikely.

1 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

2 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

3 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

4 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

5 hurling   

n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂

参考例句：

• The boat rocked wildly, hurling him into the water. 这艘船剧烈地晃动，把他甩到水中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Fancy hurling away a good chance like that, the silly girl! 想想她竟然把这样一个好机会白白丢掉了，真是个傻姑娘！ 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 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。