VOA标准英语2009年-Netanyahu Rules Out Dismantling West Bank

The thorny¹ issue of Jewish settlements topped the agenda at Israel's weekly Cabinet meeting. The right-wing government is hardening its position.
　
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Sunday, 9 Aug. 2009

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out dismantling² West Bank settlements, seen as an essential part of any final peace deal with the Palestinians.

Mr. Netanyahu told his Cabinet that the Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip in 2005 did not bring peace or security. Israel dismantled⁴ 21 settlements back then and removed 8,000 settlers from their homes. But a year later the Islamic militant⁵ group Hamas seized control of Gaza and stepped up rocket attacks across the border.

Mr. Netanyahu said Gaza is a Hamas terror base controlled by Iran.

"We will not repeat this mistake," he said. "We will not create new evacuees⁶."

Palestinian spokeswoman Diana Buttu says Netanyahu's position is a blow to the U.S.-sponsored peace process.

"What Washington has been looking for and what the Palestinians have been looking for is that Israel is going to actually freeze and in fact dismantle³ its settlements," Buttu said. "And what Netanyahu said was that he is not going to do any of that."

Mr. Netanyahu's comments came as the Palestinian Fatah movement held its first congress in 20 years. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who rules in the West Bank, was re-elected as party leader on Saturday. He said Fatah supports the peace process, but he warned that if diplomacy⁷ fails, the Palestinians could return to armed resistance.

1 thorny   

adj.多刺的，棘手的

参考例句：

• The young captain is pondering over a thorny problem.年轻的上尉正在思考一个棘手的问题。
• The boys argued over the thorny points in the lesson.孩子们辩论功课中的难点。

2 dismantling   

（枪支）分解

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。
• The dismantling of a nuclear reprocessing plant caused a leak of radioactivity yesterday. 昨天拆除核后处理工厂引起了放射物泄漏。

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 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。

5 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。

6 evacuees   

n.被疏散者( evacuee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Moreover, for multi-exits, evacuees select a exit based on game theory. 在有多个出口时，疏散人员根据对策论选择出口。 来自互联网
• Evacuees wade through flooded area following heavy monsoon rains in Peshawar on Saturday, July 31, 2010. 撤离灾区涉水通过后在白沙瓦沉重的季风降雨在周六，2010年7月31日。 来自互联网

7 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。