美国国家公共电台 NPR--Israel's former leader says Netanyahu should either reform his coalition or resign

Israel's former leader says Netanyahu should either reform his coalition¹ or resign

Transcript²

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that he would postpone³ a vote on a controversial overhaul⁴ of the country's judiciary until after parliament returns from recess⁵ at the end of April.

The move follows three months of massive protests that escalated⁶ in recent days, with labor⁷ strikes disrupting hospitals and airports and some military reservists skipping their duties — collectively raising all kinds of security concerns.

Among the thousands of protesters was one of Netanyahu's predecessors⁸: Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who served in the role from 2006 to 2009.

Olmert went on to spend over a year in jail on corruption⁹ charges, though he consistently has maintained his innocence¹⁰. Netanyahu himself is currently on trial for three criminal cases alleging¹¹ corruption — a large part of why his proposed judicial¹² reforms are so controversial.

Olmert, who has led centrist parties in the past but says he's now retired¹³ from politics, is an outspoken¹⁴ opponent of Netanyahu. Last November an Israeli court found him guilty of defamation¹⁵ over remarks he had made about his successor the previous year. He continued his criticisms in a Tuesday interview with Morning Edition's Michel Martin.

Speaking from Tel Aviv, Olmert said that while Netanyahu was "forced to compromise temporarily" under significant pressure, the struggle was far from over.

The former prime minister is urging world leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, not to invite Netanyahu to their countries.

"Let Netanyahu first of all restore some order, civility and normality into the state of Israel, before he is given any kind of recognition outside of the state of Israel," Olmert says.

Later Tuesday morning, Thomas Nides, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, told Israeli Army Radio that Biden would host Netanyahu in Washington at some point soon.

The White House downplayed those reports, with a spokesperson telling reporters in the afternoon that there was no plan for Netanyahu to visit.

"Israeli leaders have a long history ... of visiting Washington, and Prime Minister Netanyahu will likely take a visit at some point, but there's nothing currently planned," White House spokesperson Olivia Dalton said.

How the coalition came to be

The latest polls out of Israel show Netanyahu's support dropping, and it remains¹⁶ to be seen whether he will survive politically once again. As NPR's Daniel Estrin reports, Netanyahu will need to placate¹⁷ his hard-right coalition partners to stay in power, which offers him some legal protections while he's on trial.

Netanyahu is facing charges of bribery¹⁸, fraud and breach¹⁹ of trust in three separate cases involving media moguls and wealthy supporters. He was ousted²⁰ from his second, decadelong stint²¹ as prime minister in 2021 in a no-confidence vote by the Knesset.

He made a dramatic comeback the following year, winning a sixth term after assembling a government with far-right ultranationalists — including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was convicted in 2007 of supporting an anti-Arab group that Israel and the U.S. classify as a terrorist organization.

Netanyahu has defended that coalition, telling Morning Edition in December that he, not his coalition partners, would call the shots on policy: "They are joining me. I'm not joining them."

Olmert says Netanyahu's fear likely was not that he would lose the majority in his party, but that "a couple" of lawmakers could have broken with him in a vote on the overhaul legislation.

"There were hundreds of thousands of people rioting in the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, which is quite unusual even in a stormy country like Israel," he adds. "And there was a genuine concern, I think, in the government, that Netanyahu might lose the majority in his own parliamentary bloc²²."

It's unclear what happens next

Olmert believes "this government is doomed²³ to fall, sooner or later."

He points to the finance minister's recent calls to wipe out the Palestinian village of Hawara, comments that were widely criticized within and outside of Israel, including by the U.S.

He also notes that Netanyahu just cut a deal with Ben-Gvir, giving the national security minister a national guard that Olmert fears "might easily be used by him to take Palestinian villages that he wants to wipe out."

"I think the makeup²⁴ of this cabinet is totally intolerable, and the only reason that it still exists is because it needs to provide Netanyahu with the necessary defense²⁵ against the indictment²⁶ which is now under consideration by the district court in Jerusalem," Olmert says.

There will be negotiations²⁷ between the coalition and the opposition²⁸ over the next month, mediated²⁹ by Israel's president, Isaac Herzog. But Olmert doesn't believe those talks will lead to any agreement that will "change the political agenda in Israel for any period of time."

Olmert has advice for the current prime minister

Olmert says in order to move forward, Netanyahu "should get rid of his partners and change the political agenda in Israel and try and build up a coalition with parties that represent different values and different principles and different policies that can be accepted."

"I know, this is a dream that most likely will not come true, but as someone who looks presently from the outside, there is no way that I can acquiesce³⁰ with the existence of a government whose primary ministers are convicted terrorists by the Israeli courts," he says. Only one minister, Ben-Gvir, has been convicted on such charges.

Israel has been through through five elections in the last three years, and Olmert says a reformed coalition is its best chance at avoiding another one. In the meantime, he's urging opponents of the judicial overhaul to stay the course.

"We'll be rioting and we will be raising the public opinion and we'll continue to oppose the government, publicly and ... in every square and street," he says.

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 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

4 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

5 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

6 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

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 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》

9 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。

10 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。

11 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

12 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

13 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

14 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

15 defamation   

n.诽谤；中伤

参考例句：

• Character defamation can be either oral or written.人格诽谤既可以是口头的也可以是书面的。
• The company sued for defamation.这个公司因受到诽谤而提起诉讼。

16 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

17 placate   

v.抚慰，平息(愤怒)

参考例句：

• He never attempts to placate his enemy.他从不企图与敌人和解。
• Even a written apology failed to placate the indignant hostess.甚至一纸书面道歉都没能安抚这个怒气冲冲的女主人。

18 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

19 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

20 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

21 stint   

v.节省，限制，停止；n.舍不得化，节约，限制；连续不断的一段时间从事某件事

参考例句：

• He lavished money on his children without stint.他在孩子们身上花钱毫不吝惜。
• We hope that you will not stint your criticism.我们希望您不吝指教。

22 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

23 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

24 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

25 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。

26 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

27 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。

28 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

29 mediated   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

30 acquiesce   

vi.默许，顺从，同意

参考例句：

• Her parents will never acquiesce in such an unsuitable marriage.她的父母决不会答应这门不相宜的婚事。
• He is so independent that he will never acquiesce.他很有主见，所以绝不会顺从。