VOA标准英语2010年-Israel Lifts Restrictions on Palestini

A Palestinian youth throws back a tear gas canister during clashes near the Kalandia checkpoint between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem, 17 Mar¹ 2010

Israel has eased restrictions² on Palestinians after violent clashes in Jerusalem eased. The move comes amid a diplomatic crisis between the Israel and the United States.

Israel lifted a tight closure on the West Bank and reopened the Mosque³ of al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem's Old City, the site Jews call the Temple Mount. Israel had imposed the clampdown amid several days of violent clashes in Jerusalem between Israeli police and Palestinian stone throwers.

Tensions soared this week after Israel rededicated an ancient synagogue in the Old City. Palestinians said it was an Israeli attempt to destroy the nearby al-Aqsa Mosque and rebuild the biblical Temple. Islamic militants⁴ called for a day of rage Wednesday in Jerusalem, but 3,000 Israeli police and soldiers contained the violence. As Israel lifted the restrictions, Jerusalem returned to normal.

Palestinians are also angry about Israel's announcement to build 1,600 Jewish homes in disputed East Jerusalem, which they claim as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

The announcement came during last week's visit of U.S. Vice⁵ President Joe Biden. That sparked a serious crisis in relations between Israel and Washington, which sees the settlements as an obstacle to peace. Senior U.S. officials publicly described the announcement as an insult, and the administration is demanding that Israel cancel the settlement project to repair the damage.

Israeli analyst⁶ Dan Diker says the U.S. reaction was counterproductive.

"I would suggest that it was the American overreaction now that is inflaming⁷ the violence,” said Diker. “It really plays into the agenda of Muslim extremists; they felt, those that were initiating⁸ the violence, that they were actually backed by the United States', you know, slap toward Israel."

In the West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the U.S. criticism of Israel.

He called on Israel to agree to American demands to halt settlement construction to clear the way for indirect peace talks.

So Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a dilemma⁹. He wants to save Israel's all-important relations with the U.S. But he also says that no Israeli prime minister has ever agreed to stop building in East Jerusalem because it is part of the capital of the State of Israel.

 

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

4 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

7 inflaming   

v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• And, by inflaming the liver, hepatitis can adversely affect dozens of life processes. 而肝脏的炎症又会对数十种生命过程产生有害影响。 来自辞典例句
• Your throat are inflaming. 你的喉部发炎了。 来自互联网

8 initiating   

v.开始( initiate的现在分词 )；传授；发起；接纳新成员

参考例句：

• He is good at initiating projects but rarely follows through with anything. 他善于创建项目，但难得坚持完成。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Only the perchlorate shows marked sensitiveness and possibly initiating properties. 只有高氯酸盐表现有显著的感度和可能具有起爆性能。 来自辞典例句

9 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。