2006年VOA标准英语-Polls: Jericho Raid Boosts Olmert's Electi

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
16 March 2006
 
An Israeli soldier was killed Thursday in a gun battle with Palestinian militants² in the West Bank city of Jenin. The military operation occurred as new polls indicate acting³ Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's election chances have been boosted by Israel's seizure⁴ of a Palestinian militant¹ during a West Bank raid in the town of Jericho earlier this week.

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Israeli soldiers during raid in Jenin,  March 16, 2006 
  

The early morning raid in Jenin came after two Israeli security guards were wounded as they traveled in the West Bank. Israeli forces encountered heavy resistance as they searched several Jenin houses, searching for Palestinian militants belonging to the al-Aqsa Martyrs⁵ Brigade and Islamic Jihad. An Israeli statement says, at least five Palestinians were arrested during the operation.

The Jenin raid came two days after a large Israeli force raided the Jericho jail, and seized six militants, including Ahmed Saadat, the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Saadat and his associates were wanted by Israel for their involvement in the assassination⁶ of Israel's tourism minister in 2001. 

Israeli soldiers guard Palestinian prisoners from prison in Jericho   
  
In his first public comments on the action, acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel acted alone, and had no contact before the raid with British or U.S. authorities, who were responsible for monitoring the prisoners under an international agreement.

Mr. Olmert says he told his commanders to take as long as necessary to carry out the operation, which he says was designed to capture Ahmed Saadat alive. He says Israel's goal was to bring the militants to trial and minimize casualties.

The operation has proved hugely popular with Israelis, who vote in general elections March 28. A political poll released on Thursday indicates that the so-called Jericho effect has given a boost to Mr. Olmert's Kadima party, which was already holding a substantial lead over its main rivals, the Labor⁷ and Likud parties. The poll indicates Kadima could gain an additional six seats in the 120-seat Israeli Knesset since the Jericho operation. 

 
Israeli female soldier walks past election campaign poster showing acting PM Ehud Olmert 
  
For their part, Palestinians continue to condemn⁸ the raid. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the Israeli action a crime. Other senior Palestinian figures have said the raid was clearly designed to help Mr. Olmert win the Israeli election, something Israeli officials have strongly denied.

1 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。

2 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

3 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

4 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

5 martyrs   

n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情）

参考例句：

• the early Christian martyrs 早期基督教殉道者
• They paid their respects to the revolutionary martyrs. 他们向革命烈士致哀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

7 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。

8 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。