导读:以色列作为美国在中东的重要法码却数次遭到奥巴马的谴责，迷一般的特朗普先生会对以色列作何表态呢？
Mr Netanyahu, Mr Trump and the settlers
内塔尼亚胡先生特朗普先生和移民者
ISRAEL’S prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, is in a bind. He prefers the status quo whereby Israel occupies the West Bank, allowing the 2.9m Palestinians there limited autonomy though not a full state. But the settlers’ lobby, which wants to annex “Judea and Samaria” to Israel proper, is crucial to his coalition.
以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡目前陷入了窘境。他更希望看到的是以色列占领约旦河西岸，使得290万巴勒斯坦人不能够组成一个完整的国家，而只能拥有受限制的自治权。然而，移民者组成的游说团体则更想要让以色列完全吞并约旦地区，这个团体对他的联合政府来说也至关重要。
He tried to placate them this week by approving plans for more than 3,000 new homes, mainly in Jewish neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem and the big “settlement blocs” which are expected to be part of Israel in any future peace agreement.
他试图通过规划增加3000余座新房屋来安抚这些游说团，地点主要是在犹太人的邻居--东耶路撒冷地区，将来如有和平协议这个大型安置地区即会成为以色列的一部分。
But he was only partially successful: one important settlers’ organisation immediately complained that he should have authorised many more buildings.
但是他只成功了一部分：一个重要的移民者组织立即抗议道，他应该授权建立更多的房屋。
Like most other governments, Israel is also trying to work out what Donald Trump’s foreign-policy priorities are, and how that might affect their domestic calculations. One indication of change came on January 24th, when the White House refused to comment on the new settlement plans. In the past, similar moves were met with automatic condemnation as obstacles to peace.
像其他大多数政府一样，以色列正在试图弄清楚唐纳德·特朗普的外交政策的倾向，以及这会对国内的规划带来何种影响。1月24日，白宫拒绝对新的安置规划进行评论，这暗示了一种变化。过去，类似的举动通常会招致谴责，这会被当作阻碍和平进程的举动。
The testy relationship with the former president, Barack Obama, had its uses however—it served as a perfect excuse for Mr Netanyahu to restrain his coalition partners’ enthusiasm for unbridled building and annexation. Now the settlers are convinced that Mr Trump will allow them a free hand.
以色列与美国前总统奥巴马的关系虽然不好，但是这种关系却也能派上用场--这为内塔尼亚胡先生提供了一个绝妙的借口来打压他联盟中的伙伴中意欲不断扩建房屋和进行吞并的热潮。现在这些移民者相信，特朗普先生会放手让他们去做。
One reason for the uncertainty in Jerusalem is the multiple and conflicting messages arriving from Washington. The settlers have vocal support from members of Mr Trump’s inner circle, especially his new ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, who heads a settlement fundraising organisation.
耶路撒冷的情况还不确定的原因之一就是华盛顿传达来的态度多种多样且不统一。移民者得到了特朗普先生内部人士口头上的支持，尤其是他新任命的美国驻以色列大使大卫·费德曼，他发起了一个移民募捐组织。
However, some of the more important appointments, including the secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, have been careful, at least so far, not to signal a significant shift in policy. Mr Netanyahu has urged his cabinet to avoid policy departures until things are clearer.
然而，一些更为重要的任命，包括国务卿雷克斯·蒂勒森，则是比较谨慎的，至少目前来说，并没有信号表明政策上会有变动。内塔尼亚胡先生已经敦促他的内阁，在形势还不明朗之时不要背离他们初始的政策。
Another example is the new administration’s policy on moving its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Like most countries, America has been wary of recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital before conflicting claims to it are settled in a peace agreement. On the campaign trail, however, Mr Trump promised to move the embassy to Jerusalem, a step which would enrage Arab opinion.
另一个例子则是新的政权政策表明，美国会将其驻以色列的使馆从特拉维夫迁至耶路撒冷。与大多数国家一样，在新的和平协定尚未签署，各方声明还未落实之前，美国对是否认可耶路撒冷为以色列的首都还持谨慎态度。但是，在竞选的过程中，特朗普先生承诺会将使馆迁至耶路撒冷，这一举动也激怒了阿拉伯国家。
Since the election, members of his entourage have told Israeli officials that he plans to go ahead with the move, but on January 22nd a White House spokesman said only “we are at the very beginning stages of even discussing this subject.” Palestinian leaders have also received discreet messages that the embassy will not be moving for now. The only certainty is that the Trump administration does not yet have a settled policy towards Israel and the Palestinians.
自从大选以来，他的团队已经告诉以色列官员他计划落实这次搬迁，但是1月22日白宫发言人称“即使讨论这一议题我们也只是在最开始的层面”。巴勒斯坦领导人已经收到了谨慎的消息称使馆目前将不会搬迁。唯一的可能性是特朗普政权尚未对巴以问题有明确的政策。
Mr Netanyahu is to meet the new president in Washington next month. His priority will be to use the opportunity of a more amenable administration to re-energise opposition to Iran’s attempts at achieving regional supremacy. He may also seek the president’s help in holding back his own supremacists at home.
内塔尼亚胡先生将会在下个月与新总统在华盛顿会见。他的首要任务是要利用这个更加可靠的政府来抓住机会，重新加强反对伊朗试图取得地区霸权的行为。他还要寻求总统的帮助以帮他在家乡巩固自己至上的权力。
