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U.S. Envoy1 George Mitchell is in Israel, meeting with officials in an effort to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. His aim is to turn the message of President Obama to the Muslim world last week - a message that included the U.S. call for a freeze of Jewish settlements and the creation of a Palestinian state - into a practical plan. Mitchell faces a challenge, as government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes those measures.
Israeli Defense2 Minister Ehud Barak, left, meets with U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell in Tel Aviv, Israel, 09 June 2009
U.S. Special Envoy George Mitchell met with Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Tuesday.
After meeting with President Shimon Peres, Mitchell said his goal is to set the stage for a prompt resumption and early conclusion of peace talks between Israeli and Palestinians.
The Obama administration wants a total freeze on settlement expansion - something Mr. Netanyahu has said Israel will not do. The Israeli leader wants to avoid entering full-fledged peace negotiations3 with the Palestinians that would require Israel to make concessions4 on sensitive issues such as the status of Jerusalem and Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Mitchell reassured5 Israeli officials that the United States remains6 committed to Israel's security. The same message was conveyed by President Obama to Mr. Netanyahu during a telephone conversation on Monday.
In Jerusalem Tuesday, Mitchell said any disagreement between Washington and Israel are not disagreements among adversaries7. He says the United States and Israel remain close allies and friends. However, he says Israel and the Palestinians must both stick to the terms of the "roadmap" to peace.
That 2003 plan calls for an independent, democratic and viable8 Palestinian state to emerge and exist side by side in peace and security with Israel.
Analysts9 say Mr. Netanyahu knows it is not in Israel's interest to antagonize Washington - the Jewish state's biggest ally and supporter. Akiva Eldar, a senior columnist10 with the Ha'aretz newspaper in Tel Aviv, says U.S. pressure may force Mr. Netanyahu to make tough political decisions.
"Israel will be left with the choice of saying 'no' both to the United States and to the Palestinians, and to the Arab world, or to say 'yes' and confront the settlers and his constituency," said Eldar.
Many Israelis and Palestinians interpreted Mr. Obama's speech, last week, as a sign that the United States is serious about moving the peace process along. Eldar says Mitchell's job is to make sure Israeli officials understand that message.
"Perhaps it is time for the U.S. to talk directly to the Israeli public and make it clear that they are serious and this old game that we've been playing for many years of this so-called peace process that does not lead to anything is over," he said.
The U.S. envoy is to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank, Wednesday.
His trip to the region includes stops in Lebanon and Syria.
Prospects11 for including Lebanon in the peace process have improved with the victory of a Western-backed coalition12 in elections, this week.
Both Syria and Lebanon host and hold influence over armed Islamist groups that threaten the Jewish state.
1 envoy | |
n.使节,使者,代表,公使 | |
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2 defense | |
n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩 | |
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3 negotiations | |
协商( negotiation的名词复数 ); 谈判; 完成(难事); 通过 | |
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4 concessions | |
n.(尤指由政府或雇主给予的)特许权( concession的名词复数 );承认;减价;(在某地的)特许经营权 | |
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5 reassured | |
adj.使消除疑虑的;使放心的v.再保证,恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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6 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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7 adversaries | |
n.对手,敌手( adversary的名词复数 ) | |
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8 viable | |
adj.可行的,切实可行的,能活下去的 | |
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9 analysts | |
分析家,化验员( analyst的名词复数 ) | |
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10 columnist | |
n.专栏作家 | |
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11 prospects | |
n.希望,前途(恒为复数) | |
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12 coalition | |
n.结合体,同盟,结合,联合 | |
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