Deadly Protests Engulf Gaza as US Opens Embassy in Jerusalem

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Materials Daily News

Proficient

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

bloodshed

Noun

ˈblʌdʃed

the killing or wounding of many people

There is a long history of bloodshed between the two countries.

forge

Verb

foʊrdʒ

to develop something

The U.S. forged a better relationship with China in 1970s.

foe

Noun

foʊ

a person towards whom one feels hatred; an enemy

Iran and the U.S. have been foes for almost 40 years.

King Arthur easily defeated all of his foes.

repercussion

Noun

ˌriːpərˈkʌʃn

an unintended negative effect occurring after an event or action

The new tax plan will have serious repercussions on the economy.

mediator

Noun

ˈmiːdiːˌeɪtər

a person, organization, or country that attempts to resolve conflicts

Conflicts of this kind can rarely be solved without the help of a mediator.

Our company has hired a mediator to help with the negotiations.

The mediator will ask both sides to describe their complaints in detail.

Exercise 2

Article

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

Deadly Protests Engulf Gaza as US Opens Embassy in Jerusalem

More protests are expected along the Gaza border following a day of clashes in which Israeli forces killed at least 58 Palestinians and wounded more than 2,700.

Monday was the deadliest day of cross-border violence in Gaza since a 2014 war with Israel.

The clashes happened as U.S. and Israeli officials celebrated the opening of the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem less than 100 kilometers away. The Israeli military said more than 40,000 people protested.

Some countries, including U.S. allies France and Britain, called for restraint on Israel's part to curb the bloodshed. But the U.S. did not join the call for Israel to limit its response to the protests.

Israel says its actions are necessary for security as people threaten the border fence.

White House spokesman Raj Shah said the Gaza violence and the opening of the embassy in Jerusalem would not affect U.S. efforts to forge an Israel-Palestinian peace accord.

In Twitter remarks from Washington, Trump said, "A great day for Israel!" and congratulated the country. But he did not mention the violence.

Many of the United States' allies, along with its foes, expressed criticism of the U.S. decision to open its embassy in Jerusalem, saying it would increase tensions in the Middle East.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Monday's violence in Gaza, saying that he had "warned repeatedly of the repercussions" of U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a visit to London that the embassy move was "very, very unfortunate" and said it disqualified the United States from being a mediator in the Middle East peace process.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he "will not accept" any peace deal with Israel that is proposed by the Trump administration.

Israel sees all of Jerusalem as its capital, while most Palestinians hope to see East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. The issue has long been seen as one of the last big items that would need to be resolved in any Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

Exercise 3

Discussion

What are your thoughts on the recent violence along the Gaza border?

Do you agree that the U.S.' decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital will increase tensions in the Middle East? Why? Why not?

Do you view the U.S. as a global peace mediator? Why? Why not?

In your opinion, does the international community have a responsibility to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Please explain your answer.

Do you expect a peaceful solution to this conflict to be reached in the foreseeable future? Why? Why not?

Exercise 4

Further Discussion

What are your thoughts on the Trump administration's approach to foreign policy? Please explain your answer.

Do you think it's appropriate for Trump to voice his political opinions on Twitter? Why? Why not?

Does the Israeli-Palestinian conflict receive a lot of media attention in your country? Why do you think this is the case?

How would you describe your country's relationship with Israel? Please explain your answer.

Have you ever taken part in a protest? If so, please share your experience. If not, why not?

Exercise 5

Quotes

Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding. - Albert Einstein. Do you share this point of view? Why? Why not?

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable. - John F. Kennedy. What do you make of this statement?

Exercises for Further Self-Study

These self-study exercises are optional and should be carried out after the lesson has finished.

Exercise 6

Sentence Building

Write at least one sentence for each of the words in Exercise 1: Vocabulary. Begin by making sure you understand the definition of each word. Use the example sentences as a guide if you are unable to think of a sentence. Practice reading your sentences out loud.

Exercise 7

Summary

Make a brief summary of the article. Focus on the main topic and consider which pieces of information are most important. Make sure you include details such as what the article is about, who is mentioned in it, where and when the events took place, and also how and why they happened.

Parts of this lesson are based on:

An article by Voice of America.