VOA标准英语2008年-Political Crisis in Israel Averted, but Gaza Tr

Israel's prime minister has avoided a split with a major coalition¹ partner and possible dissolution of his government in a deal that could end his own political career in three months. VOA's Jim Teeple reports the political developments came as a shaky cease-fire in Gaza showed more signs of unraveling.
　
Israeli Defense² Minister Ehud Barak (file)

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reached a last-minute deal with his coalition partner, Labor³ Party leader Ehud Barak, that put off a Labor Party vote supporting a parliamentary measure that would have dissolved the Israeli Knesset and led to new elections.

The measure was proposed by the right-wing Likud Party, which polls say is favored to win new elections. Mr. Olmert had threatened to fire Labor ministers in his Cabinet if their party supported the measure.

Under the compromise, Mr. Olmert will now submit himself to an internal vote for leader of his Kadima Party on September 25. Tzachi Hanegbi, a close ally of Mr. Olmert's, who negotiated the deal with Barak said new elections had been avoided - for now.

Hanegbi says Israel has extricated⁴ itself from the daily preoccupation of when elections would be called that has dominated political discourse⁵ in recent weeks.

It is unclear if Mr. Olmert can win a leadership contest in his own party. Israel's prime minister is waiting to see if he will be indicted⁶ in a corruption⁷ probe related to funds he received from an American businessman while he was Mayor of Jerusalem and as a cabinet minister.

Mr. Olmert has declared his innocence⁸, saying any funds he received were for political purposes only and he has pledged to resign if indicted.

While one crisis was averted⁹ in Israel, another appears to be growing. Last week's cease-fire between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants¹⁰ in Gaza appears to be on shaky ground after Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants fired rockets Tuesday at the southern Israeli city of Sderot. Israel has retaliated¹¹ by closing Gaza's border crossings to food deliveries.

Israeli officials are also expressing doubts about releasing a number of Hamas prisoners it holds. Israel says it will not release militants who have murdered Israelis. The prisoners would be part of an exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit who was captured by Palestinian militants two years ago. Hamas leader Ismail Radwan warned Israel it has little choice.

Radwan says Hamas will not give up Shalit for free and he could stay a prisoner for the rest of his life if Israel does not cooperate.

At the same time, Hamas leaders say they continue to support the week-old truce¹², saying they have urged groups like Islamic Jihad to hold their fire and not attack Israel.

 

1 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。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 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。

4 extricated   

v.使摆脱困难，脱身( extricate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The meeting seemed to be endless, but I extricated myself by saying I had to catch a plane. 会议好象没完没了，不过我说我得赶飞机，才得以脱身。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She extricated herself from her mingled impulse to deny and guestion. 她约束了自己想否认并追问的不可明状的冲动。 来自辞典例句

5 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

6 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

7 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

8 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

9 averted   

防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• A disaster was narrowly averted. 及时防止了一场灾难。
• Thanks to her skilful handling of the affair, the problem was averted. 多亏她对事情处理得巧妙，才避免了麻烦。

10 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。

11 retaliated   

v.报复，反击( retaliate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• When he once teased her for her inexperience, she retaliated. 有一次，他讥讽她没有经验，她便反唇相讥。 来自辞典例句
• The terrorists retaliated by killing three policemen. 恐怖分子以杀死三名警察相报复。 来自辞典例句

12 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。