Information-Justice｜信 息 正 义
今天（周一，10月23日），美国前总统巴拉克·奥巴马 (Barack Obama)就巴以局势在Medium 上发表了一份长篇书面声明。
在声明中，奥巴马支持乔·拜登总统的行动，同时呼吁以色列更加克制。这不仅仅是出于道义，他也认为这样做才能最终增强以色列的长期安全。
他理解在处理这一异常复杂的局势时，处于痛苦之中的人们表现出高涨激烈的情绪。而重要的是：我们所有人都需要尽最大努力展示我们最好的价值观，而不是我们最坏的恐惧。
本文由非营利调查新闻编辑室“Information Justice（信息正义）”翻译。欢迎转载、分享、转发
文：Barak Obama
译：溪边愚人
编：新约客
It’s been 17 days since Hamas launched its horrific attack against Israel, killing over 1,400 Israeli citizens, including defenseless women, children and the elderly. In the aftermath of such unspeakable brutality, the U.S. government and the American people have shared in the grief of families, prayed for the return of loved ones, and rightly declared solidarity with the Israeli people.哈马斯对以色列发动骇人听闻的袭击，杀害了1400多名以色列公民，其中包括手无寸铁的妇女、儿童和老人，距今已有17天。在这种言语无法形容的暴行发生后，美国政府和美国人民与受害者家人同悲，为亲人的归来祈祷，并理所当然地宣布声援以色列人民。As I stated in an earlier post, Israel has a right to defend its citizens against such wanton violence, and I fully support President Biden’s call for the United States to support our long-time ally in going after Hamas, dismantling its military capabilities, and facilitating the safe return of hundreds of hostages to their families.正如我在早些时候的一篇文章中所说，以色列有权保护其公民免受这种肆无忌惮的暴力，我完全支持拜登总统呼吁美国支持我们的长期盟友追击哈马斯，摧毁其军事能力，并帮助数百名人质安全返回家人身边。But even as we support Israel, we should also be clear that how Israel prosecutes this fight against Hamas matters. In particular, it matters — as President Biden has repeatedly emphasized — that Israel’s military strategy abides by international law, including those laws that seek to avoid, to every extent possible, the death or suffering of civilian populations. Upholding these values is important for its own sake — because it is morally just and reflects our belief in the inherent value of every human life. Upholding these values is also vital for building alliances and shaping international opinion — all of which are critical for Israel’s long-term security.但是，即使在支持以色列的同时，我们也应当明确，以色列开展这场打击哈马斯的斗争如何去做是有关系的。特别重要的是，正如拜登总统一再强调的那样，以色列的军事战略必须遵守国际法，包括那些寻求尽可能避免平民死亡或痛苦的法律。维护这些价值观对以色列自身就很重要——因为它在道义上是公正的，反映了我们对每个人生命固有价值的信念。坚持这些价值观对于建立联盟和形成国际舆论也至关重要——所有这些对于以色列的长期安全都至关重要。This is an enormously difficult task. War is always tragic, and even the most carefully planned military operations often put civilians at risk. As President Biden noted during his recent visit to Israel, America itself has at times fallen short of our higher values when engaged in war, and in the aftermath of 9/11, the U.S. government wasn’t interested in heeding the advice of even our allies when it came to the steps we took to protect ourselves against Al Qaeda. Now, after the systematic massacre of Israeli citizens, a massacre that evokes some of the darkest memories of persecution against the Jewish people, it’s understandable that many Israelis have demanded that their government do whatever it takes to root out Hamas and make sure such attacks never happen again. Moreover, Hamas’ military operations are deeply embedded within Gaza — and its leadership seems to intentionally hide among civilians, thereby endangering the very people they claim to represent.这是一项极其艰巨的任务。战争总是悲惨的，即使是最精心策划的军事行动也常常会使平民处于危险之中。正如拜登总统在最近访问以色列时指出的那样，美国本身在参与战争时有时也未能践行我们的崇高价值观，在911事件之后，美国政府甚至对我们的盟友就我们为保护自己免受基地组织袭击而采取的措施提出的建议也不屑一顾。现在，在以色列公民遭到有计划的屠杀之后——这场屠杀唤起了人们对犹太民族遭受迫害的最黑暗记忆——许多以色列人要求他们的政府不惜一切代价铲除哈马斯，确保此类袭击不再发生，这是可以理解的。此外，哈马斯的军事行动深深扎根于加沙地带——其领导层似乎有意隐藏在平民之中，从而危及他们声称代表的人民。Still, the world is watching closely as events in the region unfold, and any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs could ultimately backfire. Already, thousands of Palestinians have been killed in the bombing of Gaza, many of them children. Hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes. The Israeli government’s decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis; it could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel’s enemies, and undermine long term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.尽管如此，全世界都在密切关注着该地区事态的发展，任何忽视人类代价的以色列军事战略最终都可能适得其反。已经有数千名巴勒斯坦人在对加沙的轰炸中丧生，其中许多是儿童。数十万人被迫离开家园。
以色列政府决定切断被困平民的食物、水和电，这不仅有可能加剧日益严重的人道主义危机，还可能使巴勒斯坦人的态度世世代代更加强硬，削弱全球对以色列的支持。这正中以色列敌人的下怀，破坏该地区实现和平与稳定的长期努力。It’s therefore important that those of us supporting Israel in its time of need encourage a strategy that can incapacitate Hamas while minimizing further civilian casualties. Israel’s recent shift to allow relief trucks into Gaza, prompted in part by the Biden administration’s behind-the-scenes diplomacy, is an encouraging step, but we need to continue lead the international community in accelerating critical aid and supplies to an increasingly desperate Gaza population. And while the prospects of future peace may seem more distant than ever, we should call on all of the key actors in the region to engage with those Palestinian leaders and organizations that recognize Israel’s right to exist to begin articulating a viable pathway for Palestinians to achieve their legitimate aspirations for self-determination — because that is the best and perhaps only way to achieve the lasting peace and security most Israeli and Palestinian families yearn for.因此，在以色列需要帮助的时候，我们这些支持以色列的人必须鼓励采取一种既能使哈马斯丧失能力，又能尽量减少更多平民伤亡的战略。以色列最近允许救援卡车进入加沙——部分归功于拜登政府的幕后外交——是令人鼓舞的一步，但我们需要继续领导国际社会加快向日益绝望的加沙民众提供关键援助和物资。虽然未来和平的前景似乎比以往任何时候都更加遥远，但我们应当呼吁该地区所有关键参与方与那些承认以色列生存权的巴勒斯坦领导人和组织接触，开始为巴勒斯坦人实现其合法的自决愿望阐明一条可行的道路——因为这是实现大多数以色列和巴勒斯坦家庭所渴望的持久和平与安全的最佳或许也是唯一的途径。Finally, in dealing with what is an extraordinarily complex situation where so many people are in pain and passions are understandably running high, all of us need to do our best to put our best values, rather than our worst fears, on display.最后，在处理这一异常复杂的局势时，许多人都处于痛苦之中，情绪高涨是可以理解的，我们所有人都需要尽最大努力展示我们最好的价值观，而不是我们最坏的恐惧。That means actively opposing anti-semitism in all its forms, everywhere. It means rejecting efforts to minimize the terrible tragedy that the Israeli people have just endured, as well as the morally-bankrupt suggestion that any cause can somehow justify the deliberate slaughter of innocent people.这意味着在任何地方都要积极反对一切形式的反犹主义。这意味着拒绝试图淡化以色列人民刚刚经历的可怕悲剧的努力，也意味着拒绝那种道义沦丧的说法，拒绝把任何一种“原因”当成蓄意屠杀无辜人民的“理由”。It means rejecting anti-Muslim, anti-Arab or anti-Palestinian sentiment. It means refusing to lump all Palestinians with Hamas or other terrorist groups. It means guarding against dehumanizing language towards the people of Gaza, or downplaying Palestinian suffering — whether in Gaza or the West Bank — as irrelevant or illegitimate.这意味着反对反穆斯林、反阿拉伯或反巴勒斯坦的情绪。这意味着拒绝将所有巴勒斯坦人与哈马斯或其他恐怖组织混为一谈。这意味着避免对加沙人民使用非人化的语言，或将巴勒斯坦人的苦难——无论是在加沙还是西岸——淡化为无关紧要或没有法律意义的。It means recognizing that Israel has every right to exist; that the Jewish people have claim to a secure homeland where they have ancient historical roots; and that there have been instances in which previous Israeli governments made meaningful efforts to resolve the dispute and provide a path for a two-state solution — efforts that were ultimately rebuffed by the other side.承认犹太人民对他们拥有古老历史渊源的安全家园的主张；承认以色列历届政府曾经为解决争端和提供两国解决方案的途径做出过有意义的努力——但这些努力最终遭到了对方的拒绝。It means acknowledging that Palestinians have also lived in disputed territories for generations; that many of them were not only displaced when Israel was formed but continue to be forcibly displaced by a settler movement that too often has received tacit or explicit support from the Israeli government; that Palestinian leaders who’ve been willing to make concessions for a two-state solution have too often had little to show for their efforts; and that it is possible for people of good will to champion Palestinian rights and oppose certain Israeli government policies in the West Bank and Gaza without being anti-semitic.这意味着承认巴勒斯坦人也世世代代生活在这片有争议的领土上；他们中的许多人不仅在以色列建国时流离失所，而且继续被定居者运动强迫流离失所，而定居者运动往往得到以色列政府的默许或明确支持；那些愿意为两国解决方案做出让步的巴勒斯坦领导人，往往很少能够看到他们的努力取得实质性成果；善意的人们有可能支持巴勒斯坦人的权利，反对以色列政府在约旦河西岸和加沙的某些政策，而不会成为反犹太主义者。Perhaps most of all, it means we should choose not to always assume the worst in those with whom we disagree. In an age of constant rancor, trolling and misinformation on social media, at a time when so many politicians and attention seekers see an advantage in shedding heat rather than light, it may be unrealistic to expect respectful dialogue on any issue — much less on an issue with such high stakes and after so much blood has been spilled. But if we care about keeping open the possibility of peace, security and dignity for future generations of Israeli and Palestinian children — as well as for our own children — then it falls upon all of us to at least make the effort to model, in our own words and actions, the kind of world we want them to inherit.也许最重要的是，这意味着我们不应该总是从最坏的角度去想那些与我们意见相左的人。在社交媒体上不断出现谩骂、嘲弄和误导的时代，在许多政客和追求关注的人更在意利用这个机会制造热度而不是提供光明的时代，期望在任何问题上进行相互尊重的对话都可能是不现实的，更不用说在一个关系如此重大、已经流了那么多血的问题上。但是，如果我们关心为以色列和巴勒斯坦的后代——以及我们自己的后代——保持和平、安全和尊严的可能性，那么我们所有人都有责任至少做出努力，用我们自己的言行来示范我们希望他们继承的那种世界。
在声明的末尾，奥巴马给了“有关（巴以）冲突的一些有用观点和背景的链接”：●Israel Is About to Make a Terrible Mistake by Thomas L. Friedman 《以色列即将犯下严重错误》（作者：托马斯·弗里德曼）https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/19/opinion/biden-speech-israel-gaza.html● ‘I Love You. I Am Sorry’: One Jew, One Muslim and a Friendship Tested by War by Kurt Streeter 《“我爱你。我很抱歉”：一位犹太人，一位穆斯林，一段在战争中受到考验的友谊》（作者：库尔特·斯特里特）https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/21/us/jewish-muslim-communities-israel-hamas-war.html● A Timeline of Israel and Palestine’s Complicated History by Nicole Narea 《以色列和巴勒斯坦复杂历史的时间线》（作者：尼科尔·纳雷亚）https://www.vox.com/world-politics/23921529/israel-palestine-timeline-gaza-hamas-war-conflict● Gaza: The Cost of Escalation by Ben Rhodes 《加沙：升级的代价》（作者：本·罗兹）https://www.nybooks.com/online/2023/10/18/gaza-the-cost-of-escalation/
2009 年 12 月 10 日，奥巴马 (Barack Obama) 获得诺贝尔和平奖。