2007年VOA标准英语-Rice Pushes for Increased Israeli-Palestinian D

By David Gollust
Jerusalem
26 March 2007
Secretary of State Rice is hoping, by the end of her trip Tuesday, to be able to make some sort of arrangement with Israel and the Palestinians that would regularize the contacts she has been having with them on final status issues that would need to be resolved for a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shuttled between Israel and Jordan as she neared the end of her fourth Middle East mission in as many months. Rice told reporters in Jerusalem she wants to expedite, not control, dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians. VOA's David Gollust is traveling with Rice in Jerusalem.

 

Israel is understood to be reluctant to be rushed into any formal dialogue with the Palestinians, especially in the wake of the national unity² agreement that leaves the radical³ Islamic movement Hamas in control of the Palestinian cabinet under Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.

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Tzipi Livni (26 Mar 2007)

At a joint⁴ news appearance with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Secretary Rice said she viewed herself only as a facilitator of the dialogue between the two parties, and not in charge of it.

"I do not intend by any means to take control of the Palestinian-Israeli bilateral⁵ dialogue. It is extremely important that it continue. I made that clear the last time I was here," said Rice. "But my role is to assist the parties, and I have been doing it this time in parallel and I think that is good way to do it, to explore the issues before them, the possibilities of a political horizon - but also concrete issues of how to deal with their daily lives."

Foreign Minister Livni said her government believes that there is a place for U.S. facilitated peace talks, even though Israel has ruled out talks with the new Palestinian government and has been critical of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for entering into the arrangement with Hamas.

"I do believe, as Secretary Rice said, that there are a lot of things, what we call the political horizons - things that we can discuss in order to find the common denominator and the mutual⁶ interests between Israel and the Palestinians - those who want to reach this goal, to achieve this goal of two states living side-by-side in peace and security, of course, to Israel," said Livni, "and we have to explore it. It is part of our responsibility to our people."

Rice held a final round of meetings with Israeli officials, after a brief trip to Amman to see Jordan's King Abdallah and to have her second meeting of the trip with Mr. Abbas.

Rice's mission is on the eve of this week's Arab League summit, which is expected to reaffirm the organization's 2002 peace overture⁷ to Israel. It essentially⁸ offers Israel normal relations with the Arab world if it reaches a two-state settlement with the Palestinians, resolving critical issues including Jerusalem and refugees.

Israeli leaders have spoken favorably about the plan, but say it should be amended⁹ to limit the resettlement of refugees to the envisaged¹⁰ Palestinian state, among other things.

Though Arab leaders say they oppose altering the plan to deal with Israeli concerns, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal suggested the Arab League might be amenable¹¹ to "additions" to the plan to reflect events since 2002.

Rice, who has called for Arab League outreach to Israel, declined to respond to the remarks. But she said she had good discussions with Prince Saud and foreign ministers of other moderate Arab states Sunday in Egypt on how the Arab initiative can play an active role in pursuing peace.

She also described as premature¹² reports that the international Middle East quartet - the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations - might hold a joint meeting in the region soon with Israel and the Palestinians and Arab moderates including Saudi Arabia.

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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 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

4 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

5 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

6 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

7 overture   

n.前奏曲、序曲，提议，提案，初步交涉

参考例句：

• The opera was preceded by a short overture.这部歌剧开始前有一段简短的序曲。
• His overture led to nothing.他的提议没有得到什么结果。

8 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

9 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。

10 envisaged   

想像，设想( envisage的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He envisaged an old age of loneliness and poverty. 他面对着一个孤独而贫困的晚年。
• Henry Ford envisaged an important future for the motor car. 亨利·福特为汽车设想了一个远大前程。

11 amenable   

adj.经得起检验的；顺从的；对负有义务的

参考例句：

• His scientific discoveries are amenable to the laws of physics.他在科学上的发现经得起物理定律的检验。
• He is amenable to counsel.他这人听劝。

12 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。