美国国家公共电台 NPR--How do Palestinians feel about a proposal to weaken Israel's courts?

How do Palestinians feel about a proposal to weaken Israel's courts?

Transcript¹

NPR's Michel Martin talks to human rights attorney Sawsan Zaher about how Palestinian and Arab Israelis are reacting to the conservative government's proposed judicial² overhaul³.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

Thousands of Israelis have been protesting a proposal to weaken Israel's judiciary. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to delay the changes that he and his right-wing allies want. But protesters still object to an overhaul that they say would politicize the court system. Many Palestinians and Arab Israelis say the Israeli courts are already deeply politicized. Our co-host, Michel Martin, spoke⁴ with Sawsan Zaher about this. Zaher is a human rights attorney and a Palestinian citizen of Israel.

SAWSAN ZAHER: Israelis - some would say that we need to give him a chance. Others are more suspicious and doubtful and have already declared their intention that they are continuing with the demonstrations⁵. However, for Palestinians, you would rarely find a Palestinian among the protesters, not because we support the judicial amendments⁶ that the Netanyahu government was leading to, but because we don't regard in the first place Israel as a democracy because it hasn't been a democracy for us. And the Supreme⁷ Court wasn't a protector of human rights of Palestinians.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

These demonstrations against this judicial overhaul have been huge. And you're saying that the 20% of the population who are Palestinian Israelis - you're saying that it wouldn't have been reflected in those demonstrations. Would that be accurate?

ZAHER: Yeah, yeah, definitely. It's - we - I think that a lot of us tried to check what our role would be as Palestinian human rights lawyers, leaders, whatever, because the issue here is that you cannot talk about democracy when there is occupation. It doesn't matter if you are a Palestinian citizen or a Jewish citizen in Israel. You cannot talk about democratic values when there is occupation. We are regarded as the other without relation to the protests, so all the more so when the protest began. We didn't want to be part in a national protest, when we didn't feel that we are part of the nation.

MARTIN: Can I just stop you for a minute? You were never tempted⁸ - I mean, given that - I just want to mention for people who are not, you know, fully⁹ aware of your background - you are, as we said, a human rights lawyer. You have argued before the Supreme Court. You were not tempted at all to participate?

ZAHER: No, I - well, frankly¹⁰, no, because the opposition¹¹ or the protest did not create an equal basis to include everyone while - I'm explaining that to you, but if you ask me if I was tempted, no, of course I was tempted. The difference between us and the Israelis is that Israelis thought they were living in a democracy. Israelis believed that Israel was a democracy. And so part of it is that they are fighting for the image of democracy that from our point of view, they never really had.

MARTIN: Before we let you go - and forgive me, I'm asking you to speculate - do you have a prediction about what will happen?

ZAHER: Now, it's true that I'm Palestinian, but I still live in Israel, and I'm aware about all the developments. And I think that it's not the first time that Netanyahu says something in order to save time and gain time so that he will be able to reach his own political goals later. And this is what a lot of us think will happen. Netanyahu basically said that he will suspend, knowing that he will have a period of time of rest, gathering¹² himself and his coalition¹³ so that later he will be able to pass all what he wants.

MARTIN: Thank you so much for sharing these insights with us.

ZAHER: Thank you very much, Michel.

MART?NEZ: That's human rights attorney Sawsan Zaher speaking with our colleague Michel Martin from Haifa, Israel.

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

6 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

7 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

8 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

9 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

10 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

11 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。

12 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

13 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。