2006年VOA标准英语-Israel's Olmert Forms Coalition Government

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
01 May 2006

Israeli interim¹ Prime Minister Ehud Olmert attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, April 30, 2006   
  
Israeli Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has formed a coalition² government, a month after national elections. A precarious³ alliance with a religious party could create future political instability.

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After three weeks of negotiations⁴, Ehud Olmert completed the formation of a new government by adding the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party to the coalition. The new government will control 67 seats in the 120-member Knesset, Israel's parliament.

But the partnership⁵ with Shas puts an obstacle in the way of Mr. Olmert's top priority - his plan for drawing Israel's final borders by 2010. Shas, which has a hawkish⁶ constituency, refused to sign a key part of the coalition agreement, which calls for dismantling⁷ settlements and withdrawing from large parts of the West Bank.

Shas leader Eli Yishai told Israel Radio that Shas would consider trading territory as part of a peace agreement with the Palestinians, but he said the party opposes the unilateral pullouts planned by Mr. Olmert.

He said abandoning territory without a peace agreement is a reward for Palestinian terrorism and would encourage more violence.

Mr. Olmert is promoting unilateral steps because he believes a peace agreement is impossible now that the Islamic militant⁸ group Hamas controls the Palestinian Authority. Hamas seeks Israel's destruction.

Shas is not an ideal partner for the center-left coalition led Mr. Olmert's Kadima Party and the dovish Labor⁹ Party. But without Shas, Mr. Olmert did not have enough parliament seats for a majority government.

The alliance underscores the precarious nature of Israeli politics. Governments rarely serve out their four-year terms. Analysts¹⁰ expect Shas to quit the coalition when the time comes to remove some 70,000 Jewish settlers from their West Bank homes in about two years. So, the new Olmert government could suffer the same fate as its predecessors¹¹, and collapse¹².

1 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 precarious   

adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的

参考例句：

• Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
• He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家，他过得是朝不保夕的生活。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

6 hawkish   

adj. 鹰派的, 强硬派的

参考例句：

• My staff's advice that first day was amazingly hawkish. 在第一天，我的僚属们的意见是令人吃惊的鹰派意见。
• Antiwar groups fear Barack Obama may create hawkish Cabinet. 反战团体担心巴拉克·奥巴马可以创建强硬派内阁。

7 dismantling   

（枪支）分解

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。
• The dismantling of a nuclear reprocessing plant caused a leak of radioactivity yesterday. 昨天拆除核后处理工厂引起了放射物泄漏。

8 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

9 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

11 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。