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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sits before testifying in front of a state-appointed inquiry1 commission into the Israeli naval2 raid on a Gaza aid flotilla, in Jerusalem, 9 Aug 2010
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu testified before a state inquiry commission and defended Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza aid flotilla in late May. He was the first witness in a probe examining the government's decision to send naval commandos to intercept3 six ships trying to break Israel's three-year blockade on the Gaza Strip.
The commandos encountered violent resistance, and nine pro-Palestinian activists4 were killed. Israel established the commission in an attempt to appease5 international outrage6 about the incident.
But despite allegations of excessive use of force, Mr. Netanyahu praised Israeli troops for what he described as "remarkable7 courage." His spokesman Mark Regev said, "Let's be clear here. Everything that we know indicates that, first of all, our interception8 was perfectly9 legal. Our naval servicemen were acting10 in self-defense."
The Gaza-bound flotilla was in international waters when Israeli commandos raided it.
Mr. Netanyahu accused Turkey, which unofficially sponsored the flotilla, of ignoring Israel's diplomatic efforts to avoid a clash on the high seas. He said Turkey was apparently11 not interested in restraining activists who attacked the commandos with clubs and knives.
Regev says it was a provocation12, plain and simple. "The violence was initiated13 by those hardcore Turkish activists who came here looking for a fight. They got that fight. They initiated the violence; they are responsible for the violence."
Eight of the activists killed were Turkish citizens and one was Turkish-American. Since the incident, the once-warm ties between Israel and Turkey have chilled. Turkey has joined other Muslim countries in demanding that Israel lift the blockade on Gaza.
Israel has responded to international pressure by easing the land blockade. But Prime Minister Netanyahu said the naval blockade will remain in force to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas, the Palestinian militant14 group that rules the Gaza Strip.
1 inquiry | |
n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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2 naval | |
adj.海军的,军舰的,船的 | |
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3 intercept | |
vt.拦截,截住,截击 | |
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4 activists | |
n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 ) | |
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5 appease | |
v.安抚,缓和,平息,满足 | |
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6 outrage | |
n.暴行,侮辱,愤怒;vt.凌辱,激怒 | |
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7 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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8 interception | |
n.拦截;截击;截取;截住,截断;窃听 | |
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9 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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10 acting | |
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的 | |
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11 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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12 provocation | |
n.激怒,刺激,挑拨,挑衅的事物,激怒的原因 | |
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13 initiated | |
n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始,创始,启蒙,介绍加入 | |
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14 militant | |
adj.激进的,好斗的;n.激进分子,斗士 | |
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