VOA标准英语2008年-Israel Buries 2 Soldiers Returned in Hezbollah

（单词翻译）

Israel was in mourning Thursday, following a controversial prisoner swap¹ with the Islamic guerrilla group Hezbollah in Lebanon in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers who were captured in 2006. Robert Berger reports from the VOA bureau in Jerusalem on the funerals of the two Israel soldiers.
　
Israeli soldiers lower the coffin² of Eldad Regev into his grave at a military cemetery³ in Haifa, 17 Jul 2008

Thousands of people attended the funerals of the two Israeli soldiers. Mourners included government and military officials, family and friends.

Karnit Goldwasser is the wife of one of the two soldiers, whose capture sparked the Lebanon War two years ago.

"My heart is crying in pain," she said. "Although I am without you, I will always be with you."

Goldwasser traveled the globe over the past two years, meeting with world leaders, in an effort to win the release of the captive soldiers.

While the prisoner swap brings closure to the families, it has sparked heated debate, because Israel released five Lebanese prisoners, including top militant⁴ Samir Kuntar. He was convicted of killing⁵ an Israeli in front of his four-year-old daughter in 1979 and then smashing her head with a rifle butt⁶.

Former Defense⁷ Minister Moshe Arens says the deal erodes⁸ Israeli deterrence⁹.

"This deal and the circumstances under which it was made will provide encouragement and incentive¹⁰ to Hamas and to Hezbollah to abduct¹¹ soldiers in the future, and make even more extreme demands. And that means the sum-total is negative," he said.

But current Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who spoke¹² at the funerals, said the government made the right decision.

Barak vowed¹³ that, if soldiers fall into captivity¹⁴, the State of Israel will take all the necessary steps to bring them home.