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VOA标准英语2012--Obama, Romney Support for Israel Reassures Jewish Voters

时间：2012-10-24 08:55:28

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Obama, Romney Support for Israel Reassures1 Jewish Voters

Patriotic2 songs set the mood in a small theater in South Florida's affluent3 Palm Beach County where residents gathered to watch the presidential debate. Many here are Jewish-Americans, a small but politically active voting block in Florida that largely support Democratic candidates. During the debate, President Barack Obama addressed their number one foreign policy concern, the safety and security of Israel.

“First of all, Israel is a true friend. It is our greatest ally in the region. And if Israel is attacked, America will stand with Israel. I've made that clear throughout my presidency,” Obama said.

But relations between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been strained over how to deal with Iran's nuclear program. Republican candidate Mitt5 Romney said the president has exhibited weakness in his outreach to the Muslim world.

“Mr. President, the reason I call it an apology tour is because you went to the Middle East and you flew to Egypt and to Saudi Arabia and to Turkey and Iraq. And by the way, you skipped Israel, our closest friend in the region, but you went to the other nations,” Romney said.

Ira Sheskin, the Director of the Jewish Demography6 Project at the University of Miami, is not convinced by Romney's argument.

“Obama went to the heart of the Arab world in Cairo in 2009 and basically said to those people, 'Look Israel is our friend and it will always be that way and the holocaust7 happened. Accept it. It doesn't make sense to deny the facts,” noted8 Sheskin.

But Romney's criticism of what he called "the president's late efforts" to impose economic sanctions to stop Iran's nuclear program did connect with Stanley Zerner, a Jewish-American and Democrat4, who says he will not support President Obama.

“I think he has talked for four years. [Saying] 'We're not going to let Iranians build uranium plants. We're not going to let them get material to do that.' And here it is four years later and nothing has been done. Iran is close to building those plants, getting that atomic bomb,” said Zerner.

While the candidates are courting Jewish-American support, some Muslim Americans in Florida, like political activist9 Amber10 Chaudhry, say they are turning away from the pro-Israel bias11 in both campaigns.

“I understand that they support Israel. I support Israel but why can't you support Palestine," said Chaudhry. "I mean America plays such a big role in the whole Palestine/Israel issue. Why can't you be a fair arbiter12 of that issue?”

In this very close election, analysts13 believe both candidates have made a political calculation to compete for the larger number of pro-Israel votes among Jewish-Americans and Christian14 Conservatives even it if means losing some Muslim-American support. 


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1 reassures 44beb01b7ab946da699bd98dc2bfd007     
v.消除恐惧或疑虑，恢复信心( reassure的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
  • A significant benefit of Undo is purely psychological: It reassures users. 撤销的一个很大好处纯粹是心理上的，它让用户宽心。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
  • Direct eye contact reassures the person that you are confident and honest. 直接的目光接触让人相信你的自信和诚实。 来自口语例句
2 patriotic T3Izu     
adj.爱国的，有爱国心的
参考例句：
  • His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
  • The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。
3 affluent 9xVze     
adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的
参考例句：
  • He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
  • His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。
4 democrat Xmkzf     
n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员
参考例句：
  • The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
  • About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。
5 mitt Znszwo     
n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手
参考例句：
  • I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
  • Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。
6 demography pw7xs     
n.人口统计，人口学
参考例句：
  • Demography is the analysis of population variables.人口学是对人口变量的分析。
  • It was once a rule of demography that people have fewer children as their countries get richer.按人口统计学的一贯规律，一个国家里的人民越富有，他们所拥有的孩子就越少。
7 holocaust dd5zE     
n.大破坏；大屠杀
参考例句：
  • The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
  • Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。
8 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的，知名的
参考例句：
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
9 activist gyAzO     
n.活动分子，积极分子
参考例句：
  • He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
  • He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。
10 amber LzazBn     
n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的
参考例句：
  • Would you like an amber necklace for your birthday?你过生日想要一条琥珀项链吗？
  • This is a piece of little amber stones.这是一块小小的琥珀化石。
11 bias 0QByQ     
n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见
参考例句：
  • They are accusing the teacher of political bias in his marking.他们在指控那名教师打分数有政治偏见。
  • He had a bias toward the plan.他对这项计划有偏见。
12 arbiter bN8yi     
n.仲裁人，公断人
参考例句：
  • Andrew was the arbiter of the disagreement.安德鲁是那场纠纷的仲裁人。
  • Experiment is the final arbiter in science.实验是科学的最后仲裁者。
13 analysts 167ff30c5034ca70abe2d60a6e760448     
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。
14 Christian KVByl     
adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒
参考例句：
  • They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

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