VOA标准英语2009年-Israel Heads to Elections as Gaza Violence Cont

This is the last day of campaigning in Israel, where voters on Tuesday are to elect a new prime minister. With security as a major concern in the elections, polls have hardliner Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party in the lead. The polling comes as violence continues to flare¹ in the Gaza Strip.
　
Election campaign posters for Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu and FM and Kadima Party leader Tzipi Livni are seen in Jerusalem, 09 Feb 2009

Israeli warplanes were again in the skies over the Gaza Strip, hitting what military officials said were Hamas targets in retaliation² for two rocket attacks on southern Israel on Sunday. The militant³ group Islamic Jihad said one of its members was killed on the ground while on a mission to attack an Israeli patrol.

The two main candidates in Tuesday's elections are the right-wing Likud Party's Benjamin Netanyahu and the ruling centrist Kadima party's Tzipi Livni. Polls show the gap between the two narrowing.

Mr. Netanyahu is a U.S.-educated former prime minister who wants to shift the focus away from negotiations⁴ with the Palestinians and instead concentrate on economic issues. He also calls for toppling Hamas.

Livni is the foreign minister who has been Israel's chief negotiator in talks with the Palestinians. She strongly supports the creation of a separate Palestinian state in keeping with earlier agreements.

With rain in the forecast for election day and the polls saying an unprecedented⁵ number of potential voters are undecided or unlikely to cast ballots⁶, turnout Tuesday is expected to be low.

On the streets of West Jerusalem, some people like this man say they thought about not voting. He is among what polls say is an unprecedented number of Israelis who, just hours before the polls open, are still undecided. He says the latest events in Gaza may push him to vote for one of the right-wing parties.

"The current leadership of Israel, be it Kadima, be it Labor⁷, be it Likud, et cetera, are for the most part just a bunch of opportunists," he said. "They think about what is good for their pocket, their own power, their own money. Did they do what was necessary in Gaza? That they did something was already a miracle. That they did not complete it, that was typical."

Public-opinion surveys show a sharp increase in support for the far-right Yisreil Beiteinu led by Avigdor Leiberman, who the latest polls showed to be third behind Netanyahu and Livni.

The Russian-born politician has called for Arab communities within Israel to be handed over to the Palestinian-run West Bank, and said any Arab citizen of Israel should be required to prove his or her loyalty⁸ to the Jewish state.

No one is predicting that Leiberman will be elected prime minister. But the winner of Tuesday's election will have to form a coalition⁹ government in which Leiberman's party could be part. Strong support for his party on Tuesday would mean he would be influential¹⁰ in the new coalition that forms.

Early results are expected late Tuesday.

1 flare   

v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发

参考例句：

• The match gave a flare.火柴发出闪光。
• You need not flare up merely because I mentioned your work.你大可不必因为我提到你的工作就动怒。

2 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

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 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

6 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

9 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。

10 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。