2010-03-27 23:56:20frank
[中東] 國際社會的麻煩製造者
2008年10月3日，美國 Defense Security Cooperation Agency 正式通知國會對台軍售的項目，在國內喧騰一時的軍售，終於有些進展。為了避免被媒體的二手傳播誤導，與藍綠的口水混淆，我就直接進入DSCA網站看正式文件（Transmittal No.08-41,46,47,56,57,70共六份文件）。當時在同一網頁，我看到了美國要出售給以色列F-35，聯合打擊戰鬥機（Transmittal No.08-83）。翻遍了文件，就是不見任何要賣給台灣的戰機。雖說研發之初以色列一開始就出錢了，但是對於台灣買不到戰機，以色列卻可以買到F-35, 還是很羨慕以色列，國家對國家的關係，還是很不一樣！當然最主要是以色列是個和美國關係良好的國家。
國內藍營的政客總喜歡用"troublemaker"來指稱綠營的領袖，或是李前總統。甚至馬先生在擔任市長任內訪歐(2006)時，還公開說不要讓國際社會把我們當成troublemaker。對此我總是百思不得其解！這個中國新華社用來罵我們總統的話，何以內化成國內的政治語言呢？甚至出訪外國時，還要拿出來對國內政治人物揶揄一番。如果國際社會要選The Troblemaker，我想以色列絕對是不二人選，雖然有些人會覺得伊朗與北韓也不差。
以色列這個國家，對我這個世代在台灣受教育的人而言，是個標竿國家。人民愛國，以小博大，以寡擊眾，不僅成年男子要當兵，女性也要，科技也很進步，接收美國的裝備與武器後，不久便能自行開發；在我們受教育的過程中，聽聞過許多以色列人團結，愛國的故事。可是當我開始讀世界史，並開始關心國際新聞後發現，這個國家根本就是個不折不扣的流氓國家！
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【中央社╱台北26日電】2010.03.26 07:28 pm 一國元首訪問白宮卻沒有和美國總統合影，很罕見。重要盟國領袖造訪，總統卻逕自去吃飯，把他晾在白宮，更是前所未聞。不過根據以色列媒體報導，這正是以色列總理尼坦雅胡（Benjamin Netanyahu ）23日晚間會見歐巴馬總統時的羞辱待遇。
這算是一種羞辱嗎？兩周前美國副總統前往以色列為中東和平談判鋪路，以色列在拜登還在以國時正式宣布要在東耶路撒冷興建1,600個單位的房子。去年秋天尼坦雅胡把歐巴馬要以色列不要再擴大在加薩走廊西岸屯墾區的話當耳邊風；結果美國今年派了個副總統去，以色列也不等他走，迫不急待宣布了要在東耶路撒冷建新房舍。就算是伊朗的Ahmadinejad，與北韓的金正日也不致對美國的總統與副總統如此不敬。現在國際上大概就剩下口袋飽飽的委內瑞拉總統查維茲會如此了。
英國驅逐一名以色列外交官作為偽造英國護照從事暗殺行動的懲罰，或許美國可以考慮以破壞中東和平，而將原本要售予以色列的25架F35賣給我們好了！這聽起很一廂情願！不過，我只希望這些表面看起來的外交衝突，不是以色列與英美兩國政府套好的招數！－－就是表面上英美對以立場強硬，實際上卻默許以色列的屯墾區在西岸與東耶路撒冷漸漸擴大。
Editorial
Mr. Obama and Israel
Published: March 26, 2010
After taking office last year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel privately told many Americans and Europeans that he was committed to and capable of peacemaking, despite the hard-line positions that he had used to get elected for a second time. Trust me, he told them. We were skeptical when we first heard that, and we’re even more skeptical now.
All this week, the Obama administration had hoped Mr. Netanyahu would give it something to work with, a way to resolve the poisonous contretemps over Jerusalem and to finally restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. It would have been a relief if they had succeeded. Serious negotiations on a two-state solution are in all their interests. And the challenges the United States and Israel face — especially Iran’s nuclear program — are too great for the leaders not to have a close working relationship.
But after a cabinet meeting on Friday, Mr. Netanyahu and his right-wing government still insisted that they would not change their policy of building homes in the city, including East Jerusalem, which Palestinians hope to make the capital of an independent state.
President Obama made pursuing a peace deal a priority and has been understandably furious at Israel’s response. He correctly sees the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a factor in wider regional instability.
Mr. Netanyahu’s government provoked the controversy two weeks ago when it disclosed plans for 1,600 new housing units in an ultra-orthodox neighborhood in East Jerusalem just as Vice President Joseph Biden Jr. was on a fence-mending visit and Israeli-Palestinian “proximity talks” were to begin.
Last year, Mr. Netanyahu rejected Mr. Obama’s call for a freeze on all settlement building. On Tuesday — just before Mr. Obama hosted Mr. Netanyahu at the White House — Israeli officials revealed plans to build 20 units in the Shepherd Hotel compound of East Jerusalem.
Palestinians are justifiably worried that these projects nibble away at the land available for their future state. The disputes with Israel have made Mr. Obama look weak and have given Palestinians and Arab leaders an excuse to walk away from the proximity talks (in which Mr. Obama’s Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, would shuttle between Jerusalem and Ramallah) that Washington nurtured.
Mr. Obama was right to demand that Mr. Netanyahu repair the damage. Details of their deliberately low-key White House meeting (no photos, no press, not even a joint statement afterward) have not been revealed. We hope Israel is being pressed to at least temporarily halt building in East Jerusalem as a sign of good faith. Jerusalem’s future must be decided in negotiations.
The administration should also insist that proximity talks, once begun, grapple immediately with core issues like borders and security, not incidentals. And it must ensure that the talks evolve quickly to direct negotiations — the only realistic format for an enduring agreement.
Many Israelis find Mr. Obama’s willingness to challenge Israel unsettling. We find it refreshing that he has forced public debate on issues that must be debated publicly for a peace deal to happen. He must also press Palestinians and Arab leaders just as forcefully.
Questions from Israeli hard-liners and others about his commitment to Israel’s security are misplaced. The question is whether Mr. Netanyahu is able or willing to lead his country to a peace deal. He grudgingly endorsed the two-state solution. Does he intend to get there?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/opinion/27sat1.html
以色列總理訪美 歐巴馬逕自去吃飯
【中央社╱台北26日電】 2010.03.26 07:28 pm
一國元首訪問白宮卻沒有和美國總統合影，很罕見。重要盟國領袖造訪，總統卻逕自去吃飯，把他晾在白宮，更是前所未聞。不過根據以色列媒體報導，這正是以色列總理尼坦雅胡（BenjaminNetanyahu ）23日晚間會見歐巴馬總統時的羞辱待遇。
倫敦「泰晤士報」（Times）今天引述一名曾與尼坦雅胡談過話的美國國會議員說法報導，當天眼見無法取得尼坦雅胡在屯墾區問題讓步的書面承諾，歐巴馬於是離開與他的會談，但邀請他留在白宮繼續和幕僚協商，並說「如果有新進展就通知我」。
這位議員說：「場面糟透了。」以色列一家報紙稱此次會談為「舞台（公開）羞辱」，雙方存在嚴重不信任，以致以色列代表團最終選擇離開，而非冒著電話線路被竊聽的風險繼續留在白宮。另一家報紙則說，尼坦雅胡訪美受到的待遇是「用來接見赤道幾內亞（Equatorial Guinea）總統的規格」。
被留下來的尼坦雅胡和幕僚退到羅斯福廳（Roosevelt Room）。他後來又和歐巴馬會談半個小時，並將訪美時間延長一天展開緊急協商，試圖重啟和平談判。但直到他昨晚返國前，雙方都沒有發表官方聲明。在以色列媒體認為尼坦雅胡自己要為遭白宮伏擊負大部分責任後，回到以色列後的尼坦雅胡更形孤立。
消息人士表示，美國副總統拜登（Joe Biden）本月訪問以色列時，以國突然宣布將在東耶路撒冷新建屯墾住宅區，讓拜登的訪問目的失焦，歐巴馬相當震怒。尼坦雅胡此次會談提出流程圖，自稱發布消息的時間點自己沒有責任，但未能說服歐巴馬。後者對以色列的憤怒似乎也沒有緩和的跡象。
白宮發言人吉布茲（Robert Gibbs）雖否認以色列媒體報導的若干細節，卻未駁斥其中所稱這次會談是對尼坦雅胡的斥責。華盛頓認為尼坦雅胡拒絕凍結屯墾計劃，已成恢復中東和平談判的主要障礙。
以色列的消息來源指出，歐巴馬在會談明確列舉美國期待以色列完成的事項，如果後者希望解決危機的話，其中包括為期10個月的禁止擴張猶太人屯墾區期限明年 9月到期後繼續延長，取銷東耶路撒冷的屯墾住宅興建計畫，並撤回2000年9月二次巴勒斯坦暴動後新控制地區的以色列駐軍。
報導敘述，在向歐巴馬展示耶路撒冷規劃流程圖，說明自己不知道新建屯墾住宅的發布時間剛好撞上拜登來訪時，尼坦雅胡看起來「相當在意與不安」。
歐巴馬於是建議尼坦雅胡和幕僚留在白宮考慮他的要求，這樣若他們改變心意，將可隨時通知他。以色列「新消息報」（Yedioth Aharonoth）引述歐巴馬的話：「我會在附近，有新進展隨時通知我。」
由於當晚結束時的氣氛非常凝重，以致以色列代表團認為不能信任白宮提供的電話線路。尼坦雅胡和國防部長巴瑞克（Ehud Barak）最後轉赴以色列大使館，以免被美方竊聽。
歐巴馬的健保改革案在會談前一天甫獲得重大勝利，以色列原本算計他會因這項國內重大施政而分身乏術，無法認真考量中東議題。
http://www.udn.com/2010/3/26/NEWS/WORLD/WOR3/5500115.shtml
Israel Absorbs Twin Rebukes From Top Allies
By HELENE COOPER and JOHN F. BURNS
Published: March 23, 2010
WASHINGTON — Israel found itself at odds with its two most stalwart allies on Tuesday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu culminated a tense visit to Washington with a face-to-face session with President Obama that apparently failed to resolve the impasse between the two over a comprehensive Middle East peace plan.
Even as Mr. Netanyahu met with Mr. Obama at a session during which the White House pointedly withheld the usual trappings of a visit by the head of a government, Israel’s other ally, Britain, expelled an Israeli diplomat. It was a rare move by a friendly government, meant as a rebuke for what appeared to be the use of a dozen fake British passports by assassins suspected of being Israeli agents in the killing of a Hamas official in Dubai.
“Such misuse of British passports is intolerable,” the British foreign secretary, David Miliband, said in the House of Commons. “The fact that this was done by a country which is a friend only adds insult to injury.”
The British decision was the latest turn in Israel’s recent frictions with its closest allies. It comes as Mr. Netanyahu, struggling to balance diplomacy with a fractious domestic political alliance that put him in power, has seen a cooling of ties with the United States after his government’s decision this month to approve new Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem.
While White House officials said that they were seeking to put the two weeks of public fighting behind them, several administration officials acknowledged that a larger confrontation was looming as Mr. Obama sought to make good on his promise to pursue a peace plan between Israelis and Palestinians.
Mr. Netanyahu finds himself at odds with the United States and Britain partly because of the coalition he is having to manage at home. He has personally moved even farther to the right, while driving a political alliance with even more conservative elements. But some analysts say that Mr. Netanyahu has more leeway than it appears, that he could build a more centrist coalition if he chose to.
Meanwhile, both Britain and the United States have become increasingly frustrated with these Israeli political currents, with officials in both countries expressing doubts about whether such a conservative alliance could ever move forward on a peace plan.
Mr. Netanyahu’s difficult position was on display during an unusually testy visit to Washington. He and Mr. Obama did not appear side by side before reporters or even pose for cameras before their meeting.
Just hours after delivering a defiant speech in which he told a pro-Israel lobby that “Jerusalem is not a settlement; it’s our capital,” Mr. Netanyahu refused to budge on an American demand that he reverse a housing plan in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
He did pledge to adhere to more rigid controls over announcements of construction in East Jerusalem, carrying from meeting to meeting here a diagram that he said laid out how much red tape Israelis must go through before they could expand housing there.
But it remained unclear whether he would even allow scheduled negotiations with the Palestinians to focus on substantive issues like borders and security, another American demand.
The impasse leaves Mr. Obama in the same position that he was in last fall, when Mr. Netanyahu defied American demands for a full freeze on settlements in the West Bank, causing the White House to set that issue aside as a first step toward restarting Middle East peace talks.
But this time, White House officials and even many Middle East analysts say that Mr. Obama, by allowing the dispute over the East Jerusalem construction to spill over publicly, has laid down a marker signaling that the United States is likely to press Israel hard on Jerusalem in future peace talks with the Palestinians. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their eventual state.
Still, both the Obama administration and Israeli officials are trying to lower the temperature.
“The prime minister has a great deal of respect for the president, and is looking forward to working with him in the future,” Ron Dermer, a senior adviser to Mr. Netanyahu, said in an interview on Tuesday.
But Mr. Obama was furious when Israel announced the housing construction in East Jerusalem two weeks ago just as Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was in the country for a visit meant to mend ties and jump-start indirect talks with the Palestinians, officials said.
While the two countries are now trying to put the fight behind them, “the writing is on the wall that Mr. Obama and Mr. Netanyahu” and the Israeli political right with whom he has formed a governing coalition “are going to clash on final status,” said Robert Malley, the director of the Middle East program at the International Crisis Group, referring to the entrenched issues like Jerusalem and borders that have bedeviled peace negotiators since 1979.
In Britain on Tuesday, a host of lawmakers used harsh language to excoriate Israel on the floor of Parliament, calling for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador, urging criminal prosecution of those involved in the Dubai operation and going so far as to say that Israel was becoming a “rogue state.”
The Israeli government was shaken by the expulsion but chose to issue only a curt official expression of regret and to take no countermeasures against Britain, top officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk publicly.
“The relationship between Israel and Britain is mutually important,” Yigal Palmor, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said by way of official reaction. “We therefore regret the British decision.”
Other officials suggested, however, that Britain should have let the issue of the forged passports die quietly, out of friendship and the shared goal of fighting radical Islamists. The fact that it chose to pursue the case and to take the very public step of expelling a member of the Israeli diplomatic mission in London showed ill will, they said.
In his remarks, Mr. Miliband, the foreign secretary, refused calls from British lawmakers to identify the expelled Israeli official by name or title, or to say how he was connected with the faked passports. But he said that “a state intelligence service” was most likely behind the forgeries, apparently a reference to the Mossad, Israel’s spy agency.
British news reports speculated that the diplomat being ordered to leave was the London station chief of Mossad.
Officials in Dubai have accused Mossad of being behind the Jan. 20 killing of the Hamas operative, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, in a luxury hotel room there.
The Dubai officials say they have identified at least 26 suspects of what has been called an Israeli hit squad that traveled to Dubai on fake identities and forged British, Irish, French, German and Australian passports. Interpol has issued a wanted list of 27 people in connection with the killing.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in Mr. Mabhouh’s killing, but Israeli officials have described the Palestinian as an important figure in Hamas terrorist operations against Israel and have said that he was deeply involved in smuggling arms for the Hamas government in Gaza.
On Tuesday, the Israeli foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, told reporters in Brussels that Israel had been presented with no concrete proof regarding its connection to the forged passports, but he did not go so far as to deny Israel’s role.
Mr. Miliband, himself the son of Jewish immigrants, emphasized the importance of relations between Israel and Britain on Tuesday and said the uproar over the forged passports should not be used to weaken ties between the countries.
Helene Cooper reported from Washington, and John F. Burns from London. Ethan Bronner and Isabel Kershner contributed reporting from Jerusalem, and Mark Landler from Washington.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/world/middleeast/24diplo.html?fta=y
Clashes Erupt in Jerusalem; US Envoy Cancels Trip
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 12:09 p.m. ET
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Hundreds of Palestinians in east Jerusalem set tires and garbage bins ablaze on Tuesday and hurled rocks at Israeli riot police, who responded with rubber bullets and tear gas. The heaviest clashes in months broke out as an American envoy abruptly canceled a visit, deepening a U.S.-Israeli diplomatic feud.
The violence spread from Arab neighborhood to Arab neighborhood across the eastern side of the volatile city. Angered by plans for more Jewish housing in predominantly Arab east Jerusalem and unsubstantiated rumors surrounding the rededication of an Old City synagogue, Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces throughout the day.
In one incident, youths hoisted a giant Palestinian flag and shouted, ''We shall die and Palestine shall live.''
Thousands of police, including anti-riot units armed with assault rifles, stun grenades and batons, were deployed across east Jerusalem in anticipation of the unrest.
Palestinian medics said 10 people were seriously wounded, five from rubber bullets. Israeli police said 14 security men suffered light wounds and 60 protesters were arrested.
''They are donkeys and dwarfs!'' a woman screamed as riot police and plainclothes security men hauled away a handcuffed, hooded youth. Police pinned the youth to the ground, setting muzzled Doberman pinschers near them as the young man shrieked in panic.
Palestinian merchants in east Jerusalem shuttered their stores in solidarity with the protests, and Palestinian schools in the city were closed. Small clashes also took place in several West Bank towns.
The diplomatic crisis with the U.S. was sparked by Israel's announcement last week of plans for 1,600 apartments in east Jerusalem, which undercut a visit by Vice President Joe Biden aimed at bolstering peace talks. Palestinians claim that sector of the city for a future capital. Israel claims all of the holy city as its eternal capital.
The announcement enraged Palestinians, who have threatened to bow out of U.S.-brokered peace talks that were supposed to begin in the coming days. The Obama administration has angrily demanded that Israel call off the project.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israel Radio on Tuesday that demands to halt construction ''are unreasonable as far as we are concerned.'' He predicted the row with the U.S. would blow over, saying neither side had an interest in escalation.
But Washington notified Israel that its special Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, had indefinitely put off his trip to the region.
The State Department said it was still awaiting a formal response from Israel after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton upbraided Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a 43-minute phone call Friday.
Spokesman P.J. Crowley also said a lot is riding on whether Israel agrees to take steps suggested by Clinton to underscore its commitment to the peace process and strong relations with America.
''We will evaluate the implications of this once we hear back from the Israelis and see how they respond to our concerns,'' he said Monday.
Netanyahu has apologized for the timing of the project's approval, but has not said it would be canceled. On Monday, he defended four decades of Jewish construction in east Jerusalem and said it ''in no way'' hurts Palestinians.
The feud is feeding already high tension in east Jerusalem, where Jews and Palestinians live together uneasily.
Palestinian officials had called on the public to defend Muslim religious interests in Jerusalem after the rededication Monday of a historic synagogue in the Jewish quarter of the Old City. The rededication has stoked unsubstantiated rumors that Jewish extremists are planning to take over the hilltop shrine at the crux of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
But the unrest appears to reflect a deeper frustration over the yearlong standstill in peace efforts. ''Israel has reached a stage where people cannot take it anymore,'' said Hatem Abdel Qader, an adviser on Jerusalem affairs to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. ''Jerusalem is witnessing the largest Jewish projects aimed at swallowing the city. This strong reaction from the Palestinian street sends a message to the Israelis that we will not accept that.''
Israel annexed east Jerusalem after capturing it from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war. Most Israelis accept the Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem as part of Israel, and previous peace proposals have allowed them to remain in Israeli hands.
But the international community does not recognize the annexation and considers the Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem to be illegal settlements. Some 180,000 Jews now live in a ring of Israeli neighborhoods in east Jerusalem, alongside 250,000 Palestinians in Arab neighborhoods.
Israel's president, Nobel peace prize laureate Shimon Peres, warned against a deterioration of Israel-U.S. ties in a speech Tuesday.
''We must develop friendships with other nations, especially with the United States, to ensure political backing in our hour of need and military support against the dangers that face us,'' Peres said. ''We cannot afford to unravel the delicate fabric of friendship with the United States.''
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/16/world/AP-ML-Israel-Palestinians.html
拜登再次譴責東耶路撒冷新居計劃
更新時間 2010年 3月 10日, 格林尼治標準時間20:12
正在中東地區訪問的美國副總統拜登再次公開譴責以色列於周二宣佈的在東耶路撒冷興建猶太新居的計劃。
周三，拜登前往西岸城鎮拉姆安拉，與巴勒斯坦領導舉行會晤。
拜登在位於拉姆安拉的巴勒斯坦民族權力機構總部受到一個國事訪問的接待。唯一的區別就是，巴勒斯坦人並沒有真正擁有一個自己的國家。
而拜登認為這本身就說明了一個問題。巴以之間的談判必須重新開始，以便讓一個新的巴勒斯坦國能夠與以色列並存。
但星期二，以色列宣佈將在東耶路撒冷興建1600個猶太新居。這無疑給拜登的雄心潑了一盆冷水。
因為，巴勒斯坦人一直爭取把東耶路撒冷作為他們新國家的首都。巴勒斯坦領導人阿巴斯在與拜登舉行的一次聯合記者招待會上對以色列的這一計劃表示了強烈不滿。
破壞信任
他說，以色列的定居點行動威脅著即將舉行的談判。我們呼籲以色列撤銷這一計劃。而拜登則更直接地指責以色列破壞巴以談判所需的互信。
他說，以色列政府決定在東耶路撒冷建新居的決定破壞了我們現在需要的信任。這一信任是巴以雙方重開談判所需的。
拜登所說的談判預計將在下周開始。但這只是巴以雙方的非直接接觸。
屆時，美國中東特使米切爾將在耶路撒冷和拉姆安拉之間以穿梭外交的方式為雙方溝通。
但是，現在巴以雙方恢復接觸的熱情已被大打折扣。
拜登抵達中東時曾說巴以雙方面臨一次真正的機會，觀察家現在懷疑這一機會是否已經消失。
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/trad/world/2010/03/100310_us_mideast.shtml
美國譴責以色列在建猶太新居計劃
奧巴馬政府譴責了以色列政府宣佈的一項建立猶太新居的計劃。
以色列周二（9日）宣佈將在東耶路撒冷建造1600個新居，此舉將有可能影響美國副總統拜登對以色列的訪問。
以色列計劃建造猶太人新居令巴勒斯坦人感到憤怒。巴勒斯坦領導人最近在拜登的敦促下剛剛同意恢復同以色列進行接觸。
正在耶路撒冷訪問的美國副總統拜登譴責了以色列政府宣佈的這項計劃。他說，這項宣佈的實質和時間損害了巴以之間恢復和談所需的相互信任。
國際社會認為東耶路撒冷是被佔領土。以色列在1967年佔領了東耶路撒冷。
根據國際法，在被佔領土上建造住房為非法，但是以色列認為東耶路撒冷為自己的領土。
巴勒斯坦當局的發言人對記者說，以色列的決定很危險，會阻礙談判進程。
一瞬即逝
拜登是奧巴馬政府訪問耶路撒冷的最高級官員。
早些時候拜登在同以色列總理內坦尼亞胡的聯合新聞發佈會上說，巴勒斯坦同以色列的和平機會一瞬即逝。
拜登歡迎雙方最近同意重新開始間接會談，並且表示美國會支持這些為和平冒風險的人。
拜登說希望間接會談能夠導致直接會談，通過會談能夠達成建立兩個國家的方案，即建立以色列和巴勒斯坦兩個國家。
巴勒斯坦提出，除非以色列停止在被佔領的西岸建造所有定居點，否則拒絕同以色列進行面對面會談。巴勒斯坦人希望在西岸建立巴勒斯坦國家。
巴以和談
據料美國中東特使米歇爾將在拉馬拉的巴勒斯坦當局和耶路撒冷的以色列當局之間穿梭溝通。
與此同時拜登還表示，美國致力於以色列的安全，將會防止伊朗取得核武器。但是他還說，對以色列安全最好的長期保證是同鄰國達成全面的和平。
內坦尼亞胡說，以色列繼續支持美國對伊朗實行更強硬制裁的努力，並說他很高興看到重啟巴以和談的努力開始產生結果。
他還說談判的目標是達成和平協議，包括要巴勒斯坦人承認以色列猶太國家的永久性以及合法性。
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/trad/world/2010/03/100309_israel_jerusalem.shtml
The above news stories and Op-ed essay were taken from the websites of the New York Times, Central News Agency, and BBC at the URLs stated below each story/essay. The copyright remains with the original owners. The New York Times, BBC and Central News Agency are not involved with, nor endorse the production of this blog.
國內藍營的政客總喜歡用"troublemaker"來指稱綠營的領袖，或是李前總統。甚至馬先生在擔任市長任內訪歐(2006)時，還公開說不要讓國際社會把我們當成troublemaker。對此我總是百思不得其解！這個中國新華社用來罵我們總統的話，何以內化成國內的政治語言呢？甚至出訪外國時，還要拿出來對國內政治人物揶揄一番。如果國際社會要選The Troblemaker，我想以色列絕對是不二人選，雖然有些人會覺得伊朗與北韓也不差。
以色列這個國家，對我這個世代在台灣受教育的人而言，是個標竿國家。人民愛國，以小博大，以寡擊眾，不僅成年男子要當兵，女性也要，科技也很進步，接收美國的裝備與武器後，不久便能自行開發；在我們受教育的過程中，聽聞過許多以色列人團結，愛國的故事。可是當我開始讀世界史，並開始關心國際新聞後發現，這個國家根本就是個不折不扣的流氓國家！
在網路新聞讀到：
【中央社╱台北26日電】2010.03.26 07:28 pm 一國元首訪問白宮卻沒有和美國總統合影，很罕見。重要盟國領袖造訪，總統卻逕自去吃飯，把他晾在白宮，更是前所未聞。不過根據以色列媒體報導，這正是以色列總理尼坦雅胡（Benjamin Netanyahu ）23日晚間會見歐巴馬總統時的羞辱待遇。
這算是一種羞辱嗎？兩周前美國副總統前往以色列為中東和平談判鋪路，以色列在拜登還在以國時正式宣布要在東耶路撒冷興建1,600個單位的房子。去年秋天尼坦雅胡把歐巴馬要以色列不要再擴大在加薩走廊西岸屯墾區的話當耳邊風；結果美國今年派了個副總統去，以色列也不等他走，迫不急待宣布了要在東耶路撒冷建新房舍。就算是伊朗的Ahmadinejad，與北韓的金正日也不致對美國的總統與副總統如此不敬。現在國際上大概就剩下口袋飽飽的委內瑞拉總統查維茲會如此了。
英國驅逐一名以色列外交官作為偽造英國護照從事暗殺行動的懲罰，或許美國可以考慮以破壞中東和平，而將原本要售予以色列的25架F35賣給我們好了！這聽起很一廂情願！不過，我只希望這些表面看起來的外交衝突，不是以色列與英美兩國政府套好的招數！－－就是表面上英美對以立場強硬，實際上卻默許以色列的屯墾區在西岸與東耶路撒冷漸漸擴大。
Editorial
Mr. Obama and Israel
Published: March 26, 2010
After taking office last year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel privately told many Americans and Europeans that he was committed to and capable of peacemaking, despite the hard-line positions that he had used to get elected for a second time. Trust me, he told them. We were skeptical when we first heard that, and we’re even more skeptical now.
All this week, the Obama administration had hoped Mr. Netanyahu would give it something to work with, a way to resolve the poisonous contretemps over Jerusalem and to finally restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. It would have been a relief if they had succeeded. Serious negotiations on a two-state solution are in all their interests. And the challenges the United States and Israel face — especially Iran’s nuclear program — are too great for the leaders not to have a close working relationship.
contretemps n. an unfortunate event or embarrassing disagreement with another person 不幸事情；令人難堪的齟齬
But after a cabinet meeting on Friday, Mr. Netanyahu and his right-wing government still insisted that they would not change their policy of building homes in the city, including East Jerusalem, which Palestinians hope to make the capital of an independent state.
President Obama made pursuing a peace deal a priority and has been understandably furious at Israel’s response. He correctly sees the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a factor in wider regional instability.
Mr. Netanyahu’s government provoked the controversy two weeks ago when it disclosed plans for 1,600 new housing units in an ultra-orthodox neighborhood in East Jerusalem just as Vice President Joseph Biden Jr. was on a fence-mending visit and Israeli-Palestinian “proximity talks” were to begin.
orthodox adj. especially of beliefs or behaviour 尤指信仰或行為 generally accepted or approved of; following generally accepted beliefs 普遍接受的；正統的；規範的
fence-mending n. an attempt to improve relations between 2 people or groups and to try to find a solution to a disagreement between them 友好關係的修復
fence-mending n. an attempt to improve relations between 2 people or groups and to try to find a solution to a disagreement between them 友好關係的修復
Last year, Mr. Netanyahu rejected Mr. Obama’s call for a freeze on all settlement building. On Tuesday — just before Mr. Obama hosted Mr. Netanyahu at the White House — Israeli officials revealed plans to build 20 units in the Shepherd Hotel compound of East Jerusalem.
Palestinians are justifiably worried that these projects nibble away at the land available for their future state. The disputes with Israel have made Mr. Obama look weak and have given Palestinians and Arab leaders an excuse to walk away from the proximity talks (in which Mr. Obama’s Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, would shuttle between Jerusalem and Ramallah) that Washington nurtured.
Ramallah 拉姆安拉，又譯拉馬拉，是巴勒斯坦的一個重要城市，位於約旦河西岸，在耶路撒冷以北約10公里。
Mr. Obama was right to demand that Mr. Netanyahu repair the damage. Details of their deliberately low-key White House meeting (no photos, no press, not even a joint statement afterward) have not been revealed. We hope Israel is being pressed to at least temporarily halt building in East Jerusalem as a sign of good faith. Jerusalem’s future must be decided in negotiations.
The administration should also insist that proximity talks, once begun, grapple immediately with core issues like borders and security, not incidentals. And it must ensure that the talks evolve quickly to direct negotiations — the only realistic format for an enduring agreement.
Many Israelis find Mr. Obama’s willingness to challenge Israel unsettling. We find it refreshing that he has forced public debate on issues that must be debated publicly for a peace deal to happen. He must also press Palestinians and Arab leaders just as forcefully.
Questions from Israeli hard-liners and others about his commitment to Israel’s security are misplaced. The question is whether Mr. Netanyahu is able or willing to lead his country to a peace deal. He grudgingly endorsed the two-state solution. Does he intend to get there?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/opinion/27sat1.html
以色列總理訪美 歐巴馬逕自去吃飯
【中央社╱台北26日電】 2010.03.26 07:28 pm
一國元首訪問白宮卻沒有和美國總統合影，很罕見。重要盟國領袖造訪，總統卻逕自去吃飯，把他晾在白宮，更是前所未聞。不過根據以色列媒體報導，這正是以色列總理尼坦雅胡（BenjaminNetanyahu ）23日晚間會見歐巴馬總統時的羞辱待遇。
倫敦「泰晤士報」（Times）今天引述一名曾與尼坦雅胡談過話的美國國會議員說法報導，當天眼見無法取得尼坦雅胡在屯墾區問題讓步的書面承諾，歐巴馬於是離開與他的會談，但邀請他留在白宮繼續和幕僚協商，並說「如果有新進展就通知我」。
這位議員說：「場面糟透了。」以色列一家報紙稱此次會談為「舞台（公開）羞辱」，雙方存在嚴重不信任，以致以色列代表團最終選擇離開，而非冒著電話線路被竊聽的風險繼續留在白宮。另一家報紙則說，尼坦雅胡訪美受到的待遇是「用來接見赤道幾內亞（Equatorial Guinea）總統的規格」。
被留下來的尼坦雅胡和幕僚退到羅斯福廳（Roosevelt Room）。他後來又和歐巴馬會談半個小時，並將訪美時間延長一天展開緊急協商，試圖重啟和平談判。但直到他昨晚返國前，雙方都沒有發表官方聲明。在以色列媒體認為尼坦雅胡自己要為遭白宮伏擊負大部分責任後，回到以色列後的尼坦雅胡更形孤立。
消息人士表示，美國副總統拜登（Joe Biden）本月訪問以色列時，以國突然宣布將在東耶路撒冷新建屯墾住宅區，讓拜登的訪問目的失焦，歐巴馬相當震怒。尼坦雅胡此次會談提出流程圖，自稱發布消息的時間點自己沒有責任，但未能說服歐巴馬。後者對以色列的憤怒似乎也沒有緩和的跡象。
白宮發言人吉布茲（Robert Gibbs）雖否認以色列媒體報導的若干細節，卻未駁斥其中所稱這次會談是對尼坦雅胡的斥責。華盛頓認為尼坦雅胡拒絕凍結屯墾計劃，已成恢復中東和平談判的主要障礙。
以色列的消息來源指出，歐巴馬在會談明確列舉美國期待以色列完成的事項，如果後者希望解決危機的話，其中包括為期10個月的禁止擴張猶太人屯墾區期限明年 9月到期後繼續延長，取銷東耶路撒冷的屯墾住宅興建計畫，並撤回2000年9月二次巴勒斯坦暴動後新控制地區的以色列駐軍。
報導敘述，在向歐巴馬展示耶路撒冷規劃流程圖，說明自己不知道新建屯墾住宅的發布時間剛好撞上拜登來訪時，尼坦雅胡看起來「相當在意與不安」。
歐巴馬於是建議尼坦雅胡和幕僚留在白宮考慮他的要求，這樣若他們改變心意，將可隨時通知他。以色列「新消息報」（Yedioth Aharonoth）引述歐巴馬的話：「我會在附近，有新進展隨時通知我。」
由於當晚結束時的氣氛非常凝重，以致以色列代表團認為不能信任白宮提供的電話線路。尼坦雅胡和國防部長巴瑞克（Ehud Barak）最後轉赴以色列大使館，以免被美方竊聽。
歐巴馬的健保改革案在會談前一天甫獲得重大勝利，以色列原本算計他會因這項國內重大施政而分身乏術，無法認真考量中東議題。
http://www.udn.com/2010/3/26/NEWS/WORLD/WOR3/5500115.shtml
Israel Absorbs Twin Rebukes From Top Allies
By HELENE COOPER and JOHN F. BURNS
Published: March 23, 2010
WASHINGTON — Israel found itself at odds with its two most stalwart allies on Tuesday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu culminated a tense visit to Washington with a face-to-face session with President Obama that apparently failed to resolve the impasse between the two over a comprehensive Middle East peace plan.
stalwart n. a loyal supporter who does a lot of work for an organization, especially a political party （政黨等組織的）忠誠擁護者，堅定分子
impasse n. a difficult situation in which no progress can be made because the people involved cannot agree what to do deadlock 僵局；絕境
impasse n. a difficult situation in which no progress can be made because the people involved cannot agree what to do deadlock 僵局；絕境
Even as Mr. Netanyahu met with Mr. Obama at a session during which the White House pointedly withheld the usual trappings of a visit by the head of a government, Israel’s other ally, Britain, expelled an Israeli diplomat. It was a rare move by a friendly government, meant as a rebuke for what appeared to be the use of a dozen fake British passports by assassins suspected of being Israeli agents in the killing of a Hamas official in Dubai.
pointedly adv. in a way that is clearly intended to show what you mean or to express criticism 明確地；尖銳地；直言不諱地
trappings n. the possessions, clothes, etc. that are connected with a particular situation, job or social position （與某一處境、職業或社會地位有關的）身外之物，標誌，服裝
rebuke to speak severely to somebody because they have done something wrong 指責；批評
trappings n. the possessions, clothes, etc. that are connected with a particular situation, job or social position （與某一處境、職業或社會地位有關的）身外之物，標誌，服裝
rebuke to speak severely to somebody because they have done something wrong 指責；批評
“Such misuse of British passports is intolerable,” the British foreign secretary, David Miliband, said in the House of Commons. “The fact that this was done by a country which is a friend only adds insult to injury.”
The British decision was the latest turn in Israel’s recent frictions with its closest allies. It comes as Mr. Netanyahu, struggling to balance diplomacy with a fractious domestic political alliance that put him in power, has seen a cooling of ties with the United States after his government’s decision this month to approve new Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem.
While White House officials said that they were seeking to put the two weeks of public fighting behind them, several administration officials acknowledged that a larger confrontation was looming as Mr. Obama sought to make good on his promise to pursue a peace plan between Israelis and Palestinians.
Mr. Netanyahu finds himself at odds with the United States and Britain partly because of the coalition he is having to manage at home. He has personally moved even farther to the right, while driving a political alliance with even more conservative elements. But some analysts say that Mr. Netanyahu has more leeway than it appears, that he could build a more centrist coalition if he chose to.
Meanwhile, both Britain and the United States have become increasingly frustrated with these Israeli political currents, with officials in both countries expressing doubts about whether such a conservative alliance could ever move forward on a peace plan.
Mr. Netanyahu’s difficult position was on display during an unusually testy visit to Washington. He and Mr. Obama did not appear side by side before reporters or even pose for cameras before their meeting.
Just hours after delivering a defiant speech in which he told a pro-Israel lobby that “Jerusalem is not a settlement; it’s our capital,” Mr. Netanyahu refused to budge on an American demand that he reverse a housing plan in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
budge v. 1. to move slightly; to make sth/sb move slightly （使）輕微移動，挪動 2. to change your opinion about something; to make somebody change their opinion （使）改變主意，改變觀點
He did pledge to adhere to more rigid controls over announcements of construction in East Jerusalem, carrying from meeting to meeting here a diagram that he said laid out how much red tape Israelis must go through before they could expand housing there.
But it remained unclear whether he would even allow scheduled negotiations with the Palestinians to focus on substantive issues like borders and security, another American demand.
The impasse leaves Mr. Obama in the same position that he was in last fall, when Mr. Netanyahu defied American demands for a full freeze on settlements in the West Bank, causing the White House to set that issue aside as a first step toward restarting Middle East peace talks.
But this time, White House officials and even many Middle East analysts say that Mr. Obama, by allowing the dispute over the East Jerusalem construction to spill over publicly, has laid down a marker signaling that the United States is likely to press Israel hard on Jerusalem in future peace talks with the Palestinians. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their eventual state.
Still, both the Obama administration and Israeli officials are trying to lower the temperature.
“The prime minister has a great deal of respect for the president, and is looking forward to working with him in the future,” Ron Dermer, a senior adviser to Mr. Netanyahu, said in an interview on Tuesday.
But Mr. Obama was furious when Israel announced the housing construction in East Jerusalem two weeks ago just as Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was in the country for a visit meant to mend ties and jump-start indirect talks with the Palestinians, officials said.
While the two countries are now trying to put the fight behind them, “the writing is on the wall that Mr. Obama and Mr. Netanyahu” and the Israeli political right with whom he has formed a governing coalition “are going to clash on final status,” said Robert Malley, the director of the Middle East program at the International Crisis Group, referring to the entrenched issues like Jerusalem and borders that have bedeviled peace negotiators since 1979.
In Britain on Tuesday, a host of lawmakers used harsh language to excoriate Israel on the floor of Parliament, calling for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador, urging criminal prosecution of those involved in the Dubai operation and going so far as to say that Israel was becoming a “rogue state.”
excoriate v. 1. to irritate a person's skin so that it starts to come off 擦破，擦傷，剝落（皮膚） medical VN 2. to criticize somebody/something severely 嚴厲指責；痛斥
expulsion n. 1. the act of forcing somebody to leave a place; the act of expelling somebody 驅逐；逐出 uncountable countable ~ (from…) 2. the act of sending somebody away from a school or an organization, so that they can no longer belong to it; the act of expelling somebody 開除；除名 3. the act of sending or driving a substance out of your body or a container 排出
expulsion n. 1. the act of forcing somebody to leave a place; the act of expelling somebody 驅逐；逐出 uncountable countable ~ (from…) 2. the act of sending somebody away from a school or an organization, so that they can no longer belong to it; the act of expelling somebody 開除；除名 3. the act of sending or driving a substance out of your body or a container 排出
The Israeli government was shaken by the expulsion but chose to issue only a curt official expression of regret and to take no countermeasures against Britain, top officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk publicly.
“The relationship between Israel and Britain is mutually important,” Yigal Palmor, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said by way of official reaction. “We therefore regret the British decision.”
Other officials suggested, however, that Britain should have let the issue of the forged passports die quietly, out of friendship and the shared goal of fighting radical Islamists. The fact that it chose to pursue the case and to take the very public step of expelling a member of the Israeli diplomatic mission in London showed ill will, they said.
In his remarks, Mr. Miliband, the foreign secretary, refused calls from British lawmakers to identify the expelled Israeli official by name or title, or to say how he was connected with the faked passports. But he said that “a state intelligence service” was most likely behind the forgeries, apparently a reference to the Mossad, Israel’s spy agency.
British news reports speculated that the diplomat being ordered to leave was the London station chief of Mossad.
Officials in Dubai have accused Mossad of being behind the Jan. 20 killing of the Hamas operative, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, in a luxury hotel room there.
The Dubai officials say they have identified at least 26 suspects of what has been called an Israeli hit squad that traveled to Dubai on fake identities and forged British, Irish, French, German and Australian passports. Interpol has issued a wanted list of 27 people in connection with the killing.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in Mr. Mabhouh’s killing, but Israeli officials have described the Palestinian as an important figure in Hamas terrorist operations against Israel and have said that he was deeply involved in smuggling arms for the Hamas government in Gaza.
On Tuesday, the Israeli foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, told reporters in Brussels that Israel had been presented with no concrete proof regarding its connection to the forged passports, but he did not go so far as to deny Israel’s role.
Mr. Miliband, himself the son of Jewish immigrants, emphasized the importance of relations between Israel and Britain on Tuesday and said the uproar over the forged passports should not be used to weaken ties between the countries.
Helene Cooper reported from Washington, and John F. Burns from London. Ethan Bronner and Isabel Kershner contributed reporting from Jerusalem, and Mark Landler from Washington.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/world/middleeast/24diplo.html?fta=y
Clashes Erupt in Jerusalem; US Envoy Cancels Trip
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 12:09 p.m. ET
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Hundreds of Palestinians in east Jerusalem set tires and garbage bins ablaze on Tuesday and hurled rocks at Israeli riot police, who responded with rubber bullets and tear gas. The heaviest clashes in months broke out as an American envoy abruptly canceled a visit, deepening a U.S.-Israeli diplomatic feud.
ablaze adj. burning quickly and strongly 猛烈燃燒
hurl v. 1. to throw something/somebody violently in a particular direction 猛扔；猛投；猛摔 2. to shout insults, etc. at somebody 大聲說出（辱罵或斥責等)
feud n. an angry and bitter argument between two people or groups of people that continues over a long period of time 長期不和；爭吵不休；世仇；夙怨
hurl v. 1. to throw something/somebody violently in a particular direction 猛扔；猛投；猛摔 2. to shout insults, etc. at somebody 大聲說出（辱罵或斥責等)
feud n. an angry and bitter argument between two people or groups of people that continues over a long period of time 長期不和；爭吵不休；世仇；夙怨
The violence spread from Arab neighborhood to Arab neighborhood across the eastern side of the volatile city. Angered by plans for more Jewish housing in predominantly Arab east Jerusalem and unsubstantiated rumors surrounding the rededication of an Old City synagogue, Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces throughout the day.
synagogue n. a building where Jews meet for religious worship and teaching 猶太會堂；猶太教堂
In one incident, youths hoisted a giant Palestinian flag and shouted, ''We shall die and Palestine shall live.''
Thousands of police, including anti-riot units armed with assault rifles, stun grenades and batons, were deployed across east Jerusalem in anticipation of the unrest.
Palestinian medics said 10 people were seriously wounded, five from rubber bullets. Israeli police said 14 security men suffered light wounds and 60 protesters were arrested.
''They are donkeys and dwarfs!'' a woman screamed as riot police and plainclothes security men hauled away a handcuffed, hooded youth. Police pinned the youth to the ground, setting muzzled Doberman pinschers near them as the young man shrieked in panic.
Palestinian merchants in east Jerusalem shuttered their stores in solidarity with the protests, and Palestinian schools in the city were closed. Small clashes also took place in several West Bank towns.
The diplomatic crisis with the U.S. was sparked by Israel's announcement last week of plans for 1,600 apartments in east Jerusalem, which undercut a visit by Vice President Joe Biden aimed at bolstering peace talks. Palestinians claim that sector of the city for a future capital. Israel claims all of the holy city as its eternal capital.
The announcement enraged Palestinians, who have threatened to bow out of U.S.-brokered peace talks that were supposed to begin in the coming days. The Obama administration has angrily demanded that Israel call off the project.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israel Radio on Tuesday that demands to halt construction ''are unreasonable as far as we are concerned.'' He predicted the row with the U.S. would blow over, saying neither side had an interest in escalation.
But Washington notified Israel that its special Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, had indefinitely put off his trip to the region.
The State Department said it was still awaiting a formal response from Israel after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton upbraided Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a 43-minute phone call Friday.
Spokesman P.J. Crowley also said a lot is riding on whether Israel agrees to take steps suggested by Clinton to underscore its commitment to the peace process and strong relations with America.
''We will evaluate the implications of this once we hear back from the Israelis and see how they respond to our concerns,'' he said Monday.
Netanyahu has apologized for the timing of the project's approval, but has not said it would be canceled. On Monday, he defended four decades of Jewish construction in east Jerusalem and said it ''in no way'' hurts Palestinians.
The feud is feeding already high tension in east Jerusalem, where Jews and Palestinians live together uneasily.
Palestinian officials had called on the public to defend Muslim religious interests in Jerusalem after the rededication Monday of a historic synagogue in the Jewish quarter of the Old City. The rededication has stoked unsubstantiated rumors that Jewish extremists are planning to take over the hilltop shrine at the crux of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
But the unrest appears to reflect a deeper frustration over the yearlong standstill in peace efforts. ''Israel has reached a stage where people cannot take it anymore,'' said Hatem Abdel Qader, an adviser on Jerusalem affairs to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. ''Jerusalem is witnessing the largest Jewish projects aimed at swallowing the city. This strong reaction from the Palestinian street sends a message to the Israelis that we will not accept that.''
Israel annexed east Jerusalem after capturing it from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war. Most Israelis accept the Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem as part of Israel, and previous peace proposals have allowed them to remain in Israeli hands.
annex v. to take control of a country, region, etc., especially by force 強佔，併吞（國家、地區等）
But the international community does not recognize the annexation and considers the Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem to be illegal settlements. Some 180,000 Jews now live in a ring of Israeli neighborhoods in east Jerusalem, alongside 250,000 Palestinians in Arab neighborhoods.
Israel's president, Nobel peace prize laureate Shimon Peres, warned against a deterioration of Israel-U.S. ties in a speech Tuesday.
''We must develop friendships with other nations, especially with the United States, to ensure political backing in our hour of need and military support against the dangers that face us,'' Peres said. ''We cannot afford to unravel the delicate fabric of friendship with the United States.''
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/16/world/AP-ML-Israel-Palestinians.html
拜登再次譴責東耶路撒冷新居計劃
更新時間 2010年 3月 10日, 格林尼治標準時間20:12
正在中東地區訪問的美國副總統拜登再次公開譴責以色列於周二宣佈的在東耶路撒冷興建猶太新居的計劃。
周三，拜登前往西岸城鎮拉姆安拉，與巴勒斯坦領導舉行會晤。
拜登在位於拉姆安拉的巴勒斯坦民族權力機構總部受到一個國事訪問的接待。唯一的區別就是，巴勒斯坦人並沒有真正擁有一個自己的國家。
而拜登認為這本身就說明了一個問題。巴以之間的談判必須重新開始，以便讓一個新的巴勒斯坦國能夠與以色列並存。
但星期二，以色列宣佈將在東耶路撒冷興建1600個猶太新居。這無疑給拜登的雄心潑了一盆冷水。
因為，巴勒斯坦人一直爭取把東耶路撒冷作為他們新國家的首都。巴勒斯坦領導人阿巴斯在與拜登舉行的一次聯合記者招待會上對以色列的這一計劃表示了強烈不滿。
破壞信任
他說，以色列的定居點行動威脅著即將舉行的談判。我們呼籲以色列撤銷這一計劃。而拜登則更直接地指責以色列破壞巴以談判所需的互信。
他說，以色列政府決定在東耶路撒冷建新居的決定破壞了我們現在需要的信任。這一信任是巴以雙方重開談判所需的。
拜登所說的談判預計將在下周開始。但這只是巴以雙方的非直接接觸。
屆時，美國中東特使米切爾將在耶路撒冷和拉姆安拉之間以穿梭外交的方式為雙方溝通。
但是，現在巴以雙方恢復接觸的熱情已被大打折扣。
拜登抵達中東時曾說巴以雙方面臨一次真正的機會，觀察家現在懷疑這一機會是否已經消失。
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/trad/world/2010/03/100310_us_mideast.shtml
美國譴責以色列在建猶太新居計劃
奧巴馬政府譴責了以色列政府宣佈的一項建立猶太新居的計劃。
以色列周二（9日）宣佈將在東耶路撒冷建造1600個新居，此舉將有可能影響美國副總統拜登對以色列的訪問。
以色列計劃建造猶太人新居令巴勒斯坦人感到憤怒。巴勒斯坦領導人最近在拜登的敦促下剛剛同意恢復同以色列進行接觸。
正在耶路撒冷訪問的美國副總統拜登譴責了以色列政府宣佈的這項計劃。他說，這項宣佈的實質和時間損害了巴以之間恢復和談所需的相互信任。
國際社會認為東耶路撒冷是被佔領土。以色列在1967年佔領了東耶路撒冷。
根據國際法，在被佔領土上建造住房為非法，但是以色列認為東耶路撒冷為自己的領土。
巴勒斯坦當局的發言人對記者說，以色列的決定很危險，會阻礙談判進程。
一瞬即逝
拜登是奧巴馬政府訪問耶路撒冷的最高級官員。
早些時候拜登在同以色列總理內坦尼亞胡的聯合新聞發佈會上說，巴勒斯坦同以色列的和平機會一瞬即逝。
拜登歡迎雙方最近同意重新開始間接會談，並且表示美國會支持這些為和平冒風險的人。
拜登說希望間接會談能夠導致直接會談，通過會談能夠達成建立兩個國家的方案，即建立以色列和巴勒斯坦兩個國家。
巴勒斯坦提出，除非以色列停止在被佔領的西岸建造所有定居點，否則拒絕同以色列進行面對面會談。巴勒斯坦人希望在西岸建立巴勒斯坦國家。
巴以和談
據料美國中東特使米歇爾將在拉馬拉的巴勒斯坦當局和耶路撒冷的以色列當局之間穿梭溝通。
與此同時拜登還表示，美國致力於以色列的安全，將會防止伊朗取得核武器。但是他還說，對以色列安全最好的長期保證是同鄰國達成全面的和平。
內坦尼亞胡說，以色列繼續支持美國對伊朗實行更強硬制裁的努力，並說他很高興看到重啟巴以和談的努力開始產生結果。
他還說談判的目標是達成和平協議，包括要巴勒斯坦人承認以色列猶太國家的永久性以及合法性。
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/trad/world/2010/03/100309_israel_jerusalem.shtml
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