以色列内阁研议如何回应伊朗威胁

Growing tensions between Israel and Iran topped the agenda at the weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.

以色列和伊朗的紧张关系升级，占据了以色列每周内阁会议的讨论议程。

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened the Cabinet meeting by referring to a statement last week by Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who described Israel as “a cancerous tumor that must be cut off.”

以色列总理内塔尼亚胡以伊朗最高领导人哈梅内伊上星期发布的声明揭开了内阁会议。哈梅内伊形容以色列为“必须去除的癌肿瘤”。

Netanyahu said the only way to ensure Israel’s survival in a region where Iran’s ruler talks “about destroying Israel,” is to continue to develop the nation’s military might.

内塔尼亚胡说，在一个伊朗领导人说要毁灭以色列的地区内，以色列确保自己生存之道就是继续发展军事力量。

A strong army “is the only guarantee of peace,” he said, “and Israel's only defense if peace unravels.”

内塔尼亚胡说，一个强有力的军队是“和平的唯一保证”，也是“在和平遭到破坏时以色列的唯一防卫”。

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but Israel and the West believe Tehran is building nuclear weapons that could threaten the existence of the Jewish state. Israeli officials are warning publicly that Iran is close to “the point of no return”- the point where military action to stop Iran from acquiring the atom bomb would be too late.

伊朗说，它的核项目是和平用途，但以色列和西方相信德黑兰在建造核武，可能威胁以色列这个犹太国家的存在。以色列官员公开警告，伊朗已接近“无法回头的时刻”，也就是用军事行动阻止伊朗获取原子弹也来不及的时刻。

Israel has said time and again that if international sanctions against Iran fail, it is prepared to take military action on its own. This has raised growing alarm in the West.

以色列多次说，如果国际社会对伊朗的制裁失败，它准备自行采取军事行动。这引起西方国家的担忧。

Last week, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was quoted by The Washington Post as saying that he believes Israel might attack Iran this year, possibly as early as April.

上星期，《华盛顿邮报》引述美国国防部长帕内塔的话说，他相信以色列可能在今年攻击伊朗，最快可能在4月。

Jerusalem Post defense analyst Yaakov Katz says time for a diplomatic solution is running out.

《耶路撒冷邮报》的国防分析人士卡兹说，采取外交途径的时机已过。

“The window is definitely closing,” he said.

卡兹说：“那扇窗绝对是关上了。”

Katz says Israel has the firepower to back up the threat.

卡兹说，以色列有军力支持他们提出的威胁。

“Israel has created over the years a viable military option, that is in place potentially, if it decides to take unilateral military action to stop Iran’s nuclear program,”

卡兹说：“以色列多年来一直在建立可行的军事选项。如果他们决定采取单方面军事行动阻止伊朗的核项目，这个军事选项可能已经成形了。”

Many analysts question how effective an Israeli attack would be, considering that Iran is 1,200 kilometers from Israel and its nuclear facilities are spread out and fortified deep underground. But last week, Israel’s Deputy Premier Moshe Ya’alon, a former army chief, said that all of Iran’s nuclear sites are “vulnerable” to military strikes.

考虑到伊朗距离以色列1200公里，而且伊朗核设施不仅分散，也藏在地底深处受到保护，使得许多分析人士质疑以色列的攻击成效。但上星期，以色列前陆军参谋长、也是现任的副总理梅里多尔说，伊朗的核地点承受不了军事攻击。