Dear Language Enthusiast,
Welcome to the Hebrew Monthly, the Internet newsletter from
Transparent Language. In this issue, we take a look at current events in Israel.
Language, like culture, is dynamic, changing and evolving over time. This issue
of Hebrew Monthly provides a fascinating glimpse at an event that is shaping the
culture of today. And, of course, it also provides an opportunity to build your
language skills.
Note that the Hebrew and its transliteration are followed by the English translation.
Sincerely,
Transparent Language
www.transparent.com
Lkhol ekhad barur vyadua shehaderekh lashalom beyn yisrael lishkheynoteha
ha'arviyot kasha umsubekhet. Ulam, hitpatkhuyot akharonot bmizrakh hatikhon
matsbiyot al-kakh, sheyesh ba pitulim umahamurot ko-rabim, sherak m'atim
yakhlu lakhazot otam meyrosh.
Mize shanim rabot, mdinot arav omdot al-kakh, sheyisrael tvater al hashtakhim
shekavsha ba'ma'avakim hashunim baezor, kitnay hekhreykhi lashlom. Lakhen
nitan haya l'haniah shehakhlatat memshelet yisrael l'ha'avir kohot tsava
yisr'eliyim midrom lvanon el tokh yisrael, bmeshekh hakhodashim hakrovim,
titkabel bivrakha. Mistaber shehadeyot al-kakh khalukot.
Kheylek meyhakvutsot halvanoniyot, omnam kiblu et hakhadashot bivrakha.
Ulam hen hibiyu khashash, sheyisrael lo totsi et hakhlatat hamemshala el
hapoal. Mkorot rishmiyim bmemshelet lvanon tsiyenu, shensiga yisr'elit, lifney
khatimat heskem shalom ben yisrael lveyn lvanon vsurya, ykhola lma'ase
lhakhamir et hamatsav. Kvutsot akheyrot, bimyukhad eyle hamkoravot lsurya,
mitnagdot b'ofen pa'il lahakhlata.
Hamemshala hasurit hibiya gam-ken hitnagdut lahakhlata hakhad-tsdadit shel
yisrael. Sar hakhuts hasuri, faruk share, ramaz, shememshelet surya roa
bahoda'a hayisr'elit emtsa'i lakhats al surya, lakhazor el shulkhan hadiyunim im
yisrael. Surya sholetet al kheylek nikhbad milvannon, umistaber shenokhekhut
kokhot yisr'eliyim bilvanon poelet ltovat surya. Kkhol shehanokhekhut hayisr'elit
ba'ezor amuka yoter, ken gadel halakhats al yisrael lhakhazir la et ramat
hagolan.
Hakhlatat memshelet yisrael al nsiga milvanon hayta omnam hakhlata pe-ekhad.
Ulam ze lo omer shehi mkubelet al-da'at hakol. Halikud, mifleget haopozitsya,
hibiya bikoret kharifa al hahakhlata, mishum shehi lo magdira eylu emtsaey
tagmul yinaktu neged lvanon, im yamshikhu hamitkafot shel kvutsot shonot
shebsiseyhen bilvanon, al yishuvim yisr'eliyim.
Hahitnagdut linsiga milvanon hi mtuna bhashva'a lma shealul lhitpateakh,
qka'asher yashuvu vyipatkhu sikhot hashalom im surya. Surya kvar hitsira, sherak
nsega yisr'elit mleya meyramat hagolan, tasviya et r'tsona. Nsiga kazu nogedet
et da'etam shel yisr'elim rabim. Hakneset, beyt-hanivkharim hayisr'eli, he'evira
la'akharona hatsa'at khok, asher takshe al nsiga meyhagolan. Hahatsa'a, asher
hitkabla brov shel 60 kneged 53 kolot mavtikha, sheheskem shalom im surya
tsarikh yiyeh la'avor et ishur rov khavrey hakneset v'et ishur rov klal ba'aley
zkhut-habkhira ba'arets. Lo tsafuy shekol ba'aley zkhut-habkhira hayisr'eliyim
omnam yishtatfu bmish'al ha'am. Lakhen ma'arikhim, sheyidaresh rov shel shney
shlishim miklal habokharim , kdey shehaheskem akhen yitkabel. Hahatsa'a
asuya gam shelo lhehafekh lkhok mishum shehi tsrikha adayin la'avor hatsba'a
bva'adot kneset shonot vkhen shalosh hatsbaot nosafot bkneset mikol makom
hauvda sherak shalosh miflagot mitokh shesh mifleygot hakoalitsya hitsbiyu b'ad
hatsa'at hakhok, matsbiya al-kakh shekhilukey deyot khamurim kayamim gam
btokh hamemshala.
Shinuyim btahalikh hashalom, korim kol-kakh maher, shekol hakshayim halalu
asuyim maher m'od, lahafokh lzikhronot. Yakhad im zot, hem matsbiyim al
khilukey deyot rabim m'od asher mavtikhim lhamshikh litsor avney-negef
baderekh lashalom.
In English:
Everyone knew that the road to peace for Israel and her Arab neighbors would
be a difficult one, but recent developments in the Middle East show that it has
twists and bumps that few could have foreseen.
Arab nations have insisted for years that Israel must give up territory gained
during the conflicts in the region as a condition for peace. Therefore, one might
expect that the Israeli cabinet's recent decision to redeploy Israeli forces from
occupied territory in southern Lebanon to sites in Israel within the next few
months would be welcome news. However, it has not proven universally popular.
Some Lebanese groups seems receptive to the news, although they have
expressed doubts about Israel following through on the announcement.
Lebanese government officials have noted that a pullout without peace
agreements between Israel and Lebanon and between Israel and Syria could
actually worsen the situation. Other groups, particularly those with connections to
Syria, actively oppose the decision.
The Syrian government has expressed hostility towards Israel's unilateral
decision. Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Shara implied that the government sees
the Israeli announcement as an attempt to pressure Syria into returning to
negotiations with Israel. Syria controls much of Lebanon and the presence of
Israeli forces in Lebanon favors Syria. The more Israeli forces must be spread
out in the region, the more pressure Israel is under to return the disputed Golan
Heights area to Syria.
The Israeli cabinet's vote on the redeployment was unanimous, but this does not
mean that the decision is universally popular. The Likud opposition party
criticized the decision for not specifying retaliatory measures against Lebanon if
attacks from groups based there continue.
The opposition to the withdrawal from Lebanon is mild compared to what might
develop when peace talks with Syria reopen. Syria has declared that only a
complete withdrawal from the Golan Heights will suffice, a withdrawal opposed
by many Israelis. The Knesset, Israel's parliament, recently voted in favor of a bill
that would make withdrawal more difficult. The bill, which was approved by a 60-
53 vote, provides that a peace accord with Syria would have to be approved by a
majority of the Knesset as well as a majority of all eligible Israeli voters. Since not
all eligible Israelis would vote in such an election, it is estimated that nearly two-
thirds of those voting would have to vote for the proposal in order for it to pass.
The bill may not become law, since it must go through parliamentary committees
and be voted on three more times. However, the fact that three of the six parties
in the current government voted for the bill indicates that serious disagreements
exist within the government.
Changes occur so quickly in the peace proposals that all of these difficulties may
soon be only a memory. However, the underlying disagreements that they reveal
promise to continue erecting roadblocks to peace.
Sources:
Ha'aretz
Washington Post
