Dear Language Enthusiast,
Welcome to the Transparent Language Free Hebrew Language Newsletter.
For those of you new to our community, we offer these newsletters to help you keep your
Hebrew skills fresh, as well as reminding you of the benefits of learning another
language. The first half is in Hebrew, followed by transliterated Hebrew, and then lastly
the English translation.
The best way to retain and develop any language is to be constantly active in it. Reading
is a great way to expand your vocabulary and familiarize yourself with natural Hebrew word
structure. The topic for this newsletter is current events, and we have chosen to explore
some aspects of Ehud Barak's new government. We hope you enjoy reading about the lives of
the Israeli people and are even inspired to search out Hebrew publications on your own!
Tips for using Languages of the World are included at the end of the newsletter.
Sincerely,
Transparent Language
www.transparent.com
Shmirat hashalom im ha-aravim, hina matara khashuva shel Ehud Barak, rosh memshalta
hekhadash shel Yisrael. Ulam gam mesima atsuma zu asuya lihyot kala yoteyr meyasher shmira
al hashalom betokh hamemshala shelo.
Barak nivkhar lrosh memshala bashiva asar bmay, brov makhria shel 56% leumat 44%
l'Vinyamin Netanyahu. Ulam miflagto, "Yisrael Akhat", shehi miflaga liberalit,
zakhta rak be-esrim veshisha mitokh me-a ve-esrim hamoshavim shel haKneset hayisreylit.
Rakhok meod mizkhiya brov mukhlat babkhirot haparlamentariyot. Kdey lhotsi lapoal et
takhniyotayv, Barak hitstarekh lvakesh temikha mehamiflagot hapolitiyot hashonot, asher
negdan hu ne-evak babkhirot.
Al menat livnot koalitsya, Barak pana lemarbit arba esre hamiflagot hameyutsgot baKneset.
Lerabot mifleget haLikud, shehi hamiflaga hakonservativit ota hevis babkhirot. Histaber
she-emdat haLikud bnosey hamasa-umatan lashalom im ha-aravim, rekhoka meod me-emdato.
I-lekhakh Barak ne-elats lifnot lemiflagot akherot.
Hatotsa-a hayta memshelet koalitsya asher hutsga bifney haKneset bashivah byuli. Hi
kolelet shtey miflagot ikariyot akherot, Shas uMerets, vekhen mispar miflagot ketanot.
Miflagot ele maskimot im Barak, beofen klali, benose hamasa umatan lashalom. Ulam eynan
maskimot ito ve-eynan maskimot ha-akhat im hashniya benosim rabim akherim. Shas lemashal,
hi miflaga datit kitsonit, asher tomekhet bazkhuyot shel khayhudim hadatiyim umitnagedet
betokef lahafikhat hakhok hayisre-eli lehok esrakhi, khiloni. Leumat zot, Merets hi
miflaga liberalit kitsonit. Miflaga meod khilonit hamvakeshet lehafkhit et hahashpa-a shel
hamiflagot hadatiyot.
Kaet lvarak yesh koalitsya. Hashe-ela hi lekhama zman? Khaverim bmiflagto shel Barak eynam
merutsim, hem ro-amim al avdan ha-amdot hamemshaltiyot asher huvtekhu lamiflagot
ha-akherot, kitmura litmikhatan. Bekhayey uma tseira-atika zu yesh min haironya. Beod
milyonim noharim lirushalayim al menat lirot et hakhomot hamutsakot shel heavar
hayisre-eli, Ehud Barak nitsav al migdal klafim ra-ua, menase litsor atid.
In English:
Keeping peace with the Arabs is a major goal of Israel's new Prime Minister, Ehud Barak.
But even that monumental task may prove easier than keeping peace in his own government.
Barak was elected prime minister on May 17 by a solid 56% to 44% margin over Benjamin
Netanyahu. However, his liberal One Israel party fell far short of a majority in
parliamentary elections, winning only 26 seats in Israel's 120-seat parliament, the
Knesset. To carry out his agenda, Barak would have to ask for voting support from the same
wildly assorted political parties he had just battled in the election.
To build his coalition, Barak approached most of the 14 other parties represented in the
Knesset-- even the conservative Likud party that he defeated. But when it became clear
that Likud's position on peace negotiations with the Arabs was too far from his own, Barak
looked to other parties.
The result was a coalition government unveiled to the Knesset on July 7. It includes two
other major parties, Shas and Meretz, as well as a number of smaller parties. While these
parties generally agree with Barak on peace negotiations, they disagree with him and each
other on many issues. Shas, for example, is an ultra-religious party that upholds the
rights of religious Jews and opposes secularization of Israeli law; Meretz, on the other
hand, is an ultra-liberal secular party seeking to reduce the influence of the religious
parties.
Barak now has his coalition. But for how long? Members of Barak's own party are unhappy,
resenting the loss of cabinet positions promised to other parties in exchange for support.
In this young-old nation, there is a deep irony: even as millions flock to Jerusalem to
see the unyielding walls of Israel's past, Ehud Barak stands uneasily atop a pile of
cards, trying to create a future.
Sources:
Israeli Government Information Division
The Washington Post
Associated Press
Tips for Languages of the World
Languages of the World:
1. Don't worry about sounding silly when you practice your pronunciation with Languages of
the World. Only your computer will hear you, and with enough practice, you'll soon be
speaking like a native. To take a role in a real foreign language dialog, start
Conversation Practice by choosing Activities / Conversation Practice. (Dialog Titles only)
2. You can learn a lot by comparing the way the same word or words with similar
characteristics are used in different contexts. To quickly search for other occurrences of
the current word, root, or part of speech, click Word Tools and select Find Word, Find
Root, or Find Link.
