美國評估中國核電站洩漏報告 - 報告

信中警告稱，核反應堆正在洩漏裂變氣體，但拜登政府認為該電廠尚未達到“危機水平”。

通過耶路撒冷郵報STAFF

2021 年 6 月 14 日 14:12

據美國有線電視新聞網周一報導，美國政府正在評估有關中國核電站洩漏的報告，此前，一家幫助運營該核電站的法國公司警告稱“放射性威脅迫在眉睫” 。

法國建築工程公司法馬通致信美國能源部警告稱，中國安全部門正在提高中國廣東省台山核電站外輻射檢測的可接受限值，以避免需要關閉該核電站。下來，根據報告。

這封信警告說，核反應堆正在洩漏裂變氣體，並補充說中國安全部門已經提高了監管機構的“場外劑量限制”。

EDF 表示，惰性氣體的積聚影響了台山工廠 1 號反應堆的初級迴路，是“已知現象，在反應堆操作程序中進行了研究和規定”。

法國電力公司表示，已召開台山核電合資公司（TNPJVC）董事會臨時會議，以“展示所有數據和必要決策”。TNPJVC 由中廣核擁有 70% 的股份，EDF 擁有 30% 的股份。

一位消息人士告訴美國有線電視新聞網，拜登政府認為該發電廠尚未處於“危機水平”。

報導稱，國家安全委員會（NSC）上週召開了多次會議以監測局勢。美國政府已經與法國政府以及美國能源部的專家討論了這種情況。

美國官員告訴美國有線電視新聞網，美國還就此事與中國政府進行了接觸，但這種接觸的程度尚不清楚。如果對中國公眾造成任何風險，美國將被要求根據當前與核事故有關的條約予以告知。

法馬通聯繫美國以獲得豁免，讓他們分享美國的技術援助以解決問題。豁免只能出於兩個原因，其中之一是“迫在眉睫的放射性威脅”。

2001 年從洛斯阿拉莫斯國家實驗室退休的核科學家謝麗爾·羅弗告訴 CNN，這家法國公司的來信“並不奇怪”，因為“這種事情並不奇怪，特別是如果他們認為他們正在聯繫的國家有一些特殊的幫助能力。”

Rofer 警告說，氣體洩漏表明工廠的一些安全殼已損壞，這可能意味著某些燃料元件可能會損壞，這“將是一個更嚴重的問題”。

“這將是關閉反應堆的一個原因，然後需要為反應堆加油，”羅弗對 CNN 說。

中國廣核集團在回應該報導的聲明中強調，該工廠及其周邊環境的環境指標“正常”。

法馬通告訴 CNN，該公司“正在支持解決中國廣東省台山核電站的性能問題。” 該公司沒有直接解決寄給美國能源部的信件。

這不是第一次有人提出圍繞台山核電站的擔憂。

據自由亞洲電台報導，法馬通的母公司法國電力公司 (EDF) 在 2016 年警告稱，在測試由法國核公司阿海琺設計的歐洲加壓反應堆 (EPR) 期間出現了設計缺陷，該反應堆用於台山核電站。 (RFA)。據自由亞洲電台稱，台山儲存的放射性核燃料數量是日本福島核電站儲存數量的三倍。

2016 年，工程師兼可持續發展活動家 Albert Lai 向 RFA 表示：“信任問題太多了，很多人現在認為這座核電站的質量控制低於標準。此外，問題還很多。”比我們想像的要嚴重。”

其他國家的 EPR 由於一系列缺陷而遭受多次延誤，包括擔心它們可能在操作過程中破裂。

台山EPR是第一個進入商業運營的EPR。然而，根據香港自由新聞社 2018 年的一份報告，就在它投入運行前一周，中國國家核安全局 (NNSA) 確定了該反應堆的“六大問題”。

據香港自由新聞社報導，在反應堆開始運行之前，還報告了許多其他問題，國家核安全局指出台山有 20 個需要改進的地方，包括由於焊接缺陷而需要經常修理的管道。

US assessing reported leak at Chinese nuclear power plant - report

The letter warned that the nuclear reactor is leaking fission gas, but the Biden administration believes that the power plant is not yet a "crisis level."

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

JUNE 14, 2021 14:12

Taishan Nuclear Power Plant

(photo credit: COURTESY: EDF/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)

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The United States government is assessing reports of a leak at a Chinese nuclear power plant, after warnings of an "imminent radiological threat" by a French company that helps operate it, CNN reported on Monday.

Framatome, the French construction engineering company, sent a letter to the US Department of Energy warning that the Chinese safety authority was raising the acceptable limits for radiation detection outside the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in the Chinese Guangdong province in order to avoid needing to shut it down, according to the report.

The letter warned that the nuclear reactor is leaking fission gas, adding that the Chinese safety authority has raised regulator "off-site dose limits."

EDF said the build-up of noble gases, which it said had affected the primary circuit of reactor no 1 of the Taishan plant, was a "known phenomenon, studied and provided for in the reactor operating procedures."

EDF said it had called an extraordinary meeting of Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Co.'s (TNPJVC) board of directors "to present all the data and the necessary decisions." TNPJVC is 70% owned by CGN and 30% by EDF.

A source told CNN that the Biden administration believes that the power plant is not yet at a "crisis level."

The National Security Council (NSC) held multiple meetings in the last week to monitor the situation, according to the report. The US government has discussed the situation with the French government as well as with experts at the US Department of Energy.

The US has also contacted the Chinese government on the matter, but the extent of that contact is unclear, US officials told CNN. If there is any risk to the Chinese public, the US would be required to make it known under current treaties related to nuclear accidents.

Framatome reached out to the US in order to obtain a waiver that would let them share American technical assistance in order to resolve the issue. The waiver can only be granted for two reasons, one of which is an "imminent radiological threat."

Cheryl Rofer, a nuclear scientist who retired from Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2001, told CNN that the letter by the French company was "not surprising," as "this sort of thing is not extraordinary, particularly if they think the country they are contacting has some special ability to help."

Rofer warned that a gas leak indicated that some of the containment at the plant is broken, which could mean that some of the fuel elements could be broken, which "would be a more serious problem."

"That would be a reason for shutting down the reactor and would then require the reactor to be refueled," said Rofer to CNN.

The China General Nuclear Power Group stressed in a statement in response to the report that environmental indicators at the plant and its surroundings are "normal."

Framatome told CNN that the company "is supporting resolution of a performance issue with the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong Province, China." The company did not directly address the letter sent to the US Department of Energy.

This isn't the first time that concerns surrounding the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant have been raised.

Electricite de France (EDF), the company which owns Framatome, warned in 2016 that design flaws emerged during testing of the European pressurized reactors (EPR) designed by French nuclear firm Areva, which are used at the Taishan plant, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA). The amount of radioactive nuclear fuel stored at Taishan is three times that of the amount that was stored at the Fukushima plant in Japan, according to RFA.

"There have been so many trust issues, that a lot of people now believe that quality control at this nuclear power plant is below standard," said engineer and sustainability campaigner Albert Lai to RFA in 2016. "What's more, the problems are much more serious than we thought they were."

EPRs in other countries suffered from numerous delays due to a slew of defects, including concerns that they could crack during operation.

The EPR at Taishan was the first EPR to enter commercial operation. Just a week before it entered operation, however, China’s National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) identified "six major issues" in the reactor, according to a report by the Hong Kong Free Press in 2018.

A number of other issues were reported with the reactor before it began operation, with the NNSA pointing to 20 areas for improvement at Taishan, including pipelines that required frequent repairs due to welding defects, according to the Hong Kong Free Press.

隨著不滿情緒的加劇，哈梅內伊將加強對伊朗投票的控制

在經過仔細審查的領域中的領跑者是 Ebrahim Raisi，他是一位強硬的法官，被分析師和內部人士視為代表最可怕的安全機構。

通過路透

2021 年 6 月 15 日 09:06

伊朗人周五在一場由接近最高領袖阿亞圖拉·阿里·哈梅內伊的強硬派候選人主導的競選中選舉了一位新總統，民眾對經濟困難和限制自由的憤怒情緒將使許多支持改革的伊朗人留在國內。

在經過仔細審查的領域中的領跑者是易卜拉欣·賴西（Ebrahim Raisi），他是一位強硬的法官，被分析師和內部人士視為代表最可怕的安全機構。

但當局對高投票率和提高其合法性的希望可能會落空，因為官方民意調查顯示，在超過 5900 萬符合條件的伊朗人中，只有約40% 會投票。

在強硬的選舉機構禁止重量級溫和派和保守派候選人參選後，政府的批評者將這種前景歸因於對美國製裁和缺乏選民選擇的經濟造成的憤怒。

接替實用主義者哈桑·魯哈尼總統的競賽將在五名接受哈梅內伊強烈反西方世界觀的強硬派之間展開，其中包括賴西和前核談判代表賽義德·賈利利，以及兩名低調的溫和派。

候選人的有限選擇反映了伊朗實用主義政治家的政治消亡，華盛頓決定退出 2015 年的核協議並重新實施制裁以扼殺與西方的和解。

“他們將太陽、月亮和天空對齊，使一個特定的人成為總統，”溫和派候選人莫森·梅拉利扎德在電視選舉辯論中說。

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雖然該機構的核心支持者將投票，但國內外數百名持不同政見者呼籲抵制，其中包括自 2011 年以來被軟禁的反對派領導人穆薩維 (Mirhossein Mousavi)。

據反對派卡拉梅網站報導，穆薩維在一份聲明中說：“我將與那些厭倦了羞辱性和精心設計的選舉，並且不會屈服於幕後、隱秘和秘密決定的人站在一起。”

穆薩維和同為改革派的邁赫迪卡魯比在 2009 年競選。他們成為支持改革的伊朗人的傀儡，他們在一場他們認為被操縱的比賽中以強硬派馬哈茂德·艾哈邁迪內賈德獲勝後舉行了大規模抗議活動。

處決

如果司法部長賴西在周五的投票中獲勝，這可能會增加這位中等級別的什葉派神職人員最終接替哈梅內伊的機會，哈梅內伊本人在成為最高領導人之前曾擔任過兩屆總統。

人權組織批評賴西在 2017 年大選中輸給了魯哈尼，因為他在 1988 年處決了數千名政治犯時擔任法官。賴西於 2019 年被哈梅內伊任命為司法機構負責人。

不過，伊朗人不排除意外。

在 2005 年的總統選舉中，鐵匠的兒子和前革命衛隊艾哈邁迪內賈德在擊敗強大的前總統阿克巴爾·哈希米·拉夫桑賈尼（Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani）時並不突出，他在很大程度上被認為是領先者。

“(Saeed) Jalili 給我們帶來驚喜的機會不應被低估，”駐德黑蘭的分析師 Saeed Leylaz 說。

儘管哈梅內伊公開表示不贊成任何候選人，但分析人士表示，他更喜歡像萊西或賈利利這樣堅定的忠誠者擔任總統。

選舉不太可能給哈梅內伊已經制定的伊朗外交和核政策帶來重大變化。但強硬的總統可以在國內加強哈馬內伊的影響力。

伊朗遭受重創的經濟也是一個重要因素。

為了贏得那些全神貫注於生計問題的選民，候選人承諾創造數百萬個就業機會，解決通貨膨脹問題，並向低收入伊朗人提供現金。然而，他們尚未說明這些承諾將如何獲得資金。

所有候選人都支持伊朗與世界大國之間的談判，以恢復 2015 年的核協議並取消制裁。

但溫和派候選人 Abdolnaser Hemmati 表示，強硬派尋求與西方的緊張關係，而企業集團則通過規避制裁來控制大筆佣金。

“如果強硬派上台，會發生什麼？在世界範圍內更加一致的情況下實施更多製裁，”擔任央行行長至 5 月的赫馬蒂在電視辯論中表示。

Khamenei set to tighten grip in Iran vote as frustrations grow

The front-runner in a carefully vetted field is Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline judge seen by analysts and insiders as representing the security establishment at its most fearsome.

By REUTERS

JUNE 15, 2021 09:06

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a virtual speech, on the occasion of the Prophet Mohammad's birthday, in Tehran, Iran November 3, 2020.

(photo credit: OFFICIAL KHAMENEI WEBSITE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

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Iranians elect a new president on Friday in a race dominated by hardline candidates close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with popular anger over economic hardship and curbs on freedoms set to keep many pro-reform Iranians at home.

The front-runner in a carefully vetted field is Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline judge seen by analysts and insiders as representing the security establishment at its most fearsome.

But the authorities' hopes for a high turnout and a boost to their legitimacy may be disappointed, as official polls suggest only about 40% of over 59 million eligible Iranians will vote.

Critics of the government attribute that prospect to anger over an economy devastated by US sanctions and a lack of voter choice, after a hardline election body barred heavyweight moderate and conservative candidates from standing.

The race to succeed President Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatist, will be between five hardliners who embrace Khamenei's strongly anti-Western world view, including Raisi and former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, and two low-key moderates.

The limited choice of candidates reflects the political demise of Iran's pragmatist politicians, weakened by Washington’s decision to quit a 2015 nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions in a move that stifled rapprochement with the West.

"They have aligned sun, moon and the heavens to make one particular person the president," said moderate candidate Mohsen Mehralizadeh in a televised election debate.

While the establishment's core supporters will vote, hundreds of dissidents, both at home and abroad, have called for a boycott, including opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi, under house arrest since 2011.

"I will stand with those who are tired of humiliating and engineered elections and who will not give in to behind-the-scenes, stealthy and secretive decisions," Mousavi said in a statement, according to the opposition Kalameh website.

Mousavi and fellow reformist Mehdi Karoubi ran for election in 2009. They became figureheads for pro-reform Iranians who staged mass protests after the vote was won by a hardliner, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a contest they believed was rigged.

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If judiciary chief Raisi wins Friday's vote, it could increase the mid-ranking Shi'ite cleric's chances of eventually succeeding Khamenei, who himself served two terms as president before becoming supreme leader.

Rights groups have criticized Raisi, who lost to Rouhani in the 2017 election, for his role as a judge in the executions of thousands of political prisoners in 1988. Raisi was appointed as head of the judiciary in 2019 by Khamenei.

However, Iranians do not rule out the unexpected.

In the 2005 presidential vote, Ahmadinejad, a blacksmith’s son and former Revolutionary Guard, was not prominent when he defeated powerful former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, largely seen beforehand as the frontrunner.

"(Saeed) Jalili's chances to surprise us should not be underestimated," said Tehran-based analyst Saeed Leylaz.

Although publicly Khamenei has favored no candidate, analysts said he would prefer a firm loyalist like Raisi or Jalili as president.

The election is unlikely to bring major change to Iran's foreign and nuclear policies, already set by Khamenei. But a hardline president could strengthen Khamanei's hand at home.

Iran's devastated economy is also an important factor.

To win over voters preoccupied by bread-and-butter issues, candidates have promised to create millions of jobs, tackle inflation and hand cash to lower-income Iranians. However, they have yet to say how these promises would be funded.

All candidates back talks between Iran and world powers to revive the 2015 nuclear deal and remove sanctions.

But moderate candidate Abdolnaser Hemmati said hardliners sought tension with the West, while conglomerates they control rake in large sums by circumventing sanctions.

"What will happen if the hardliners come to power? More sanctions with more world unanimity," Hemmati, who served as central bank chief until May, said in a televised debate.

沙特阿拉伯允許女性在沒有男性監護人的情況下生活和旅行

具有里程碑意義的裁決指出，“成年女性有權選擇住在哪裡。女性監護人只有在有證據證明她犯罪的情況下才能舉報她。”

作者：SHIRA SILKOFF

2021 年 6 月 15 日 10:32

在沙特阿拉伯利雅得，沙特當局在 14 個月後解除了對其公民的旅行禁令後，由于冠狀病毒病 (COVID-19) 的限制，一名戴著口罩的沙特婦女在抵達哈​​立德國王國際機場時提著行李走路，2021 年 5 月 16 日。

（圖片來源：路透社/AHMED YOSRI）

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在以嚴重的性別不平等而聞名的國家做出具有里程碑意義的裁決後，沙特阿拉伯的婦女將被允許在沒有男性監護人的情況下獨自生活。

沙特阿拉伯在婦女權利方面落後於許多鄰國，2011 年才首次賦予婦女投票權。 在 2021 年世界經濟論壇的全球性別差距報告中，該王國在全球排名第 147 位。 156 個國家。雖然這個分數極低，但比往年更高，證明正在取得進展。

然而，真正的證據可以在王國內部發生的戲劇性變化中看到，所有這些變化都集中在社會改革上。

允許女性在未經許可或男性監護人的情況下獨自生活的決定是一項具有里程碑意義的裁決。《伊斯蘭教法庭訴訟程序法》修正案將允許單身、離婚或喪偶的婦女在未經父親或任何其他男性監護人許可的情況下獨立生活在一個房子裡。

舊法規定，發現自己處於這種情況下的女性必須由男性監護人負責，如果他願意，可以控制她的一舉一動，而現在的修正案規定“成年女性有權選擇在哪裡活下去。女人的監護人只有在有證據證明她犯罪的情況下才能舉報她。”

對許多人來說，這個決定已經醞釀多年。

沙特作家瑪麗安·奧泰比 (Marian al-Otaibi) 在 2017 年至 2020 年間捲入了一場為期三年的官司，此前她因未經父親許可獨自生活和旅行而被家人起訴。在法庭裁定她“有權選擇住在哪裡”後，她最終贏得了官司。

法院將不再接受選擇獨居的女孩的家人提起的訴訟，這是迄今為止允許的。

改變法律的決定是穆罕默德·本·薩勒曼親王在承諾沙特阿拉伯將成為女性更平等的地方後正在努力實施的更大計劃的一部分。

最近發生的其他變化包括決定允許女性登記參加穆斯林麥加朝聖的朝覲，而無需男性監護人陪同。

他們還將被允許加入軍隊和武裝部隊，擔任各種職位，包括醫療服務和皇家海軍。

2019 年，沙特阿拉伯通過了一項法律，允許女性擁有駕駛權，現在該法律已擴展到包括 17 歲的年輕女性獲得駕駛執照的選項。

還採取了第一步，允許王國的女性從事法律職業並被任命為法官。

2021 年 1 月，總部位於沙特阿拉伯的 Al Arabiya 媒體頻道報導稱，沙特阿拉伯負責婦女賦權的副部長 Hind al-Zahid 已“在多個層面採取了舉措”，允許婦女擔任法官。

雖然沙特阿拉伯的女性對早該發生的變化表示歡迎，但國內外的男性對此感到憤怒，據報導，一名駐紮在巴基斯坦的人在 Facebook 上回復了這一消息，稱“如果薩達姆·侯賽因還活著，[不會] 發生這樣的事情！ ” 另一位 Facebook 用戶只是說“這個王國走錯了方向”。

Women in Saudi Arabia to be allowed to live, travel without male guardian

The landmark ruling states that "an adult woman has the right to choose where to live. A woman’s guardian can report her only if he has evidence proving she committed a crime."

By SHIRA SILKOFF

JUNE 15, 2021 10:32

A Saudi woman wearing a facemask walks with her luggage as she arrives at the King Khalid International Airport, after Saudi authorities lift the travel ban on its citizens after fourteen months due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 16, 2021.

(photo credit: REUTERS/AHMED YOSRI)

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Women in Saudi Arabia are to be allowed to live alone without a male guardian, after a landmark ruling for the country known for its harsh gender inequality.

Saudi Arabia has lagged behind many of its neighboring countries when it comes to women's rights, with voting rights only being given to women for the first time in 2011. In the 2021 World Economic Forum's global gender gap report, the kingdom was ranked 147th out of 156 countries. Although this score is extremely low, it is higher than it has been in previous years, proving that progress is being made.

The real proof, however, can be seen in the dramatic changes taking place within the kingdom, all with a focus on social reform.

The decision to allow women to live by themselves without permission or a male guardian is a landmark ruling. The amendment to the "Law of Procedure before Sharia Courts," will allow single, divorced, or widowed women to live independently in a house without permission from their father or any other male guardian.

The old law stated that women who find themselves in these circumstances must be under the responsibility of a male guardian who would be able to control her every move if he wished, whereas the amendment now states that "an adult woman has the right to choose where to live. A woman’s guardian can report her only if he has evidence proving she committed a crime."

For many people, this decision has been years in the making.

Saudi writer Marian al-Otaibi was embroiled in a three-year legal battle from 2017-2020 after she was sued by her family for living and traveling alone without her father's permission. She eventually won the case after the court ruled that she had "the right to choose where to live."

Courts will no longer accept lawsuits filed by family members of girls who choose to live alone, something that has been allowed up until now.

The decision to change the law was made as part of a larger plan which Prince Mohammed bin Salman is working to implement after promising that Saudi Arabia would become a more equal place for women.

Other changes which have come about recently include the decision to allow women to register for Haj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, without needing a male guardian with them.

They will also be allowed to join the military and armed forces in various positions, including the Medical Service and the Royal Navy.

In 2019, Saudi Arabia passed a law that would allow women the right to drive, and it has now been extended to include the option for young women aged 17 to receive their driving licenses.

The first steps have also been put into motion to allow women in the kingdom to pursue legal careers and be appointed as judges.

In January 2021, the Saudi-based Al Arabiya media channel reported that the undersecretary for women's empowerment in Saudi Arabia, Hind al-Zahid, had "initiatives in place on several levels" that would allow women to assume the position of judge.

While women in Saudi Arabia welcome the long-overdue changes, men both there and abroad were furious, with one person reportedly based in Pakistan replying to the news on Facebook by saying "if Saddam Hussain was alive [nothing would be] happening like this!" Another Facebook user simply said that the "kingdom is on the wrong direction."

伊朗溫和派候選人：“積極共存”可能為美國談判鋪平道路

在所有國家事務中擁有最終決定權的伊朗最高領袖阿亞圖拉阿里哈梅內伊一再排除與美國的談判。

通過路透

2021 年 6 月 15 日 18:04

2021 年 3 月 1 日，在奧地利維也納爆發冠狀病毒病 (COVID-19) 期間，在理事會會議開始之前，伊朗國旗在國際原子能機構 (IAEA) 總部前飄揚。

（照片來源：路透社/LISI NIESNER/文件照片）

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迪拜——領先的伊朗溫和派 總統候選人 阿卜杜勒納塞爾·赫馬蒂週二表示，如果華盛頓堅持與德黑蘭“積極共處”，伊朗可能會與長期宿敵美國舉行會談。

在伊朗所有國家事務中擁有最終決定權的最高領袖阿亞圖拉阿里哈梅內伊一再排除與美國的談判，自 1979 年伊斯蘭革命以來，美國與美國沒有外交關係。

但德黑蘭一直在就恢復其 2015 年與美國和世界大國達成的核協議進行間接談判，該協議於 2018 年被華盛頓放棄。

“我們必須看看美國如何對核協議採取行動……然後我們必須看看美國是否想繼續通過以色列及其分子乾預該地區，”前央行行長赫馬蒂在新聞發布會上說。在周五大選之前。

“有一連串的問題需要建立信任……如果我們真的覺得美國朝著積極共處以促進世界和地區和平的方向邁進，那麼舉行會談應該沒有問題，”赫馬蒂在發表的講話中說。由半官方的法爾斯通訊社報導。

赫馬蒂面臨五名強硬派和一名被強硬派領導的選舉監督機構允許參選的溫和派，在呼籲抵制投票的情況下，在獲得改革派支持方面取得的成功有限。

伊朗通訊社週二援引卡魯比之子的話說，反對黨領袖邁赫迪卡魯比自 2011 年以來一直是一名被軟禁的神職人員，他表示將投票支持赫馬蒂。

但卡魯比的盟友穆薩維（Mirhossein Mousavi）自 2011 年以來也被軟禁，他加入了國內外持不同政見者呼籲的抵制活動。

上個月，伊斯蘭共和國強硬的監護委員會僅批准了七位總統候選人參加選舉，並取消了幾位著名候選人的資格。

這一決定提振了哈梅內伊盟友、強硬的司法機構負責人易卜拉欣·賴西的前景，但可能會使神職統治者對因美國製裁而癱瘓的經濟產生疏遠和不滿而希望獲得高投票率的希望變得渺茫。

無國界記者組織（RSF）指責伊朗在選舉前夕加大對記者（包括外國記者）的壓力，以致無法“談論民主進程”。

無國界記者在一份聲明中說：“該政權（已經）對所有媒體實施審查，阻止他們自由報導選舉，並使用傳票和審訊來威脅記者和公民記者。”

RSF 表示，對記者施加的一系列限制包括對選舉發表負面或批評性評論，或批評 Raisi 本人，而伊朗則審查報紙並過濾新聞網站和社交媒體。

Iran moderate candidate: 'Positive coexistence' may pave way to US talks

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all matters of state, has repeatedly ruled out negotiations with the United States.

By REUTERS

JUNE 15, 2021 18:04

The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021.

(photo credit: REUTERS/LISI NIESNER/FILE PHOTO)

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DUBAI - Leading Iranian moderate presidential candidate Abdolnaser Hemmati said on Tuesday Iran could hold talks with longtime arch-foe the United States if Washington adhered to "positive coexistence" with Tehran.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all matters of state in Iran, has repeatedly ruled out negotiations with the United States, with which it has had no diplomatic relations since its 1979 Islamic Revolution.

But Tehran has been holding indirect talks on reviving its 2015 nuclear deal with the United States and world powers that was abandoned by Washington in 2018.

"We have to see how America acts on the nuclear deal…, then we have to see whether America wants to continue its meddling in the region through Israel and its elements," Hemmati, a former central bank chief, told a news conference ahead of the Friday election.

"There is a chain of issues in need of confidence-building…If we really feel that America moves towards a positive coexistence to advance world and regional peace, then there should be no problem to hold talks," Hemmati said in remarks carried by the semi-official Fars news agency.

Hemmati, who faces a field of five hardliners and a moderate who have been allowed to run by a hardline-led election watchdog, has had limited success in gaining support from reformists amid calls to boycott the vote.

Opposition leader Mehdi Karoubi, a cleric under house arrest since 2011, has said he will vote for Hemmati, Iranian news agencies quoted Karoubi's son as saying on Tuesday.

But Karoubi's ally Mirhossein Mousavi, also under house arrest since 2011, has joined the boycott called by dissidents both at home and abroad.

Last month, the Islamic Republic's hardline Guardian Council approved just seven presidential hopefuls to stand in the election and disqualified several prominent candidates.

The decision boosted the prospects of hardline judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, a Khamenei ally, but may dim the clerical rulers' hopes of a high turnout amid alienation and discontent over an economy crippled by U.S. sanctions.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) accused Iran of stepping up pressure on journalists, including foreign reporters, in the election run-up in a way that made it impossible to "talk of a democratic process".

"The regime (has) imposed censorship on all the media, it is preventing them from covering the election freely, and it is using summonses and interrogations to threaten journalists and citizen-journalists," RSF said in a statement.

RSF said a range of restrictions imposed on journalists included making negative or critical comments about the election, or criticising Raisi himself, while Iran had censored newspapers and filtered news websites and social media.

埃及、埃塞俄比亞的軍事實力如何？

埃及將埃塞俄比亞復興大壩稱為“生存威脅”。埃塞俄比亞說埃及和蘇丹沒有什麼可擔心的。

作者：穆罕默德·卡西姆/媒體熱線

2021 年 6 月 15 日 16:34

埃塞俄比亞的複興大壩於 9 月 26 日在埃塞俄比亞 Benishangul Gumuz 地區的尼羅河上進行施工。（Tiksa Negeri/文件照片/路透社）

（圖片來源：TIKSA NEGERI / REUTERS）

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埃及、埃塞俄比亞和蘇丹之間關於使用位於青尼羅河上的埃塞俄比亞復興大壩的水的談判已陷入政治僵局，人們越來越擔心這場危機可能會演變成一場軍事衝突。

埃塞俄比亞宣布將於 7 月對大壩進行第二次蓄水，將收集 135 億立方米的水。這是去年第一次填充時收集的水量的三倍。

青尼羅河是尼羅河的主要支流，為埃及提供約 90% 的用水需求。蘇丹和埃及擔心不加控制的大壩蓄水會在他們國家的一些地區造成嚴重的干旱或洪水。埃塞俄比亞表示，大壩項目是其經濟發展和為其公民發電的關鍵。

埃及將埃塞俄比亞復興大壩稱為“生存威脅”。埃塞俄比亞說埃及和蘇丹沒有什麼可擔心的。

在各方都站穩腳跟的情況下，如果埃及總統阿卜杜勒-法塔赫·塞西 (Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi) 兌現他的威脅，即使用包括武力在內的“一切可用手段”來保護他的國家利益呢？

埃及和埃塞俄比亞如何在軍事上相互對抗？

以下是根據 Global Fire Power 的數據對埃及和埃塞俄比亞軍隊進行的比較：

埃及軍隊在全球 138 支軍隊中排名第 9，而埃塞俄比亞軍隊排名第 60。

埃及空軍擁有各類軍用飛機1053架，其中戰鬥機250架，運輸機59架，教練機341架，直升機304架，攻擊直升機91架。

埃塞俄比亞空軍只有92架飛機，其中戰鬥機24架，教練機26架，運輸機9架，直升機33架，攻擊直升機8架。

埃及軍隊在坦克方面佔據上風，擁有 3,735 輛坦克、11,000 輛裝甲車、1,165 輛自行火砲和 2,200 輛野戰炮。

埃塞軍隊擁有坦克365輛，裝甲車130輛，自行火砲65門，野戰炮480門。

埃及海軍艦隊包括 316 艘艦艇，其中包括 2 艘直升機航母、7 艘輕型護衛艦和 8 艘潛艇，此外還有 50 艘巡邏艦和 9 艘護衛艦。

埃塞俄比亞是內陸國家，沒有海軍艦隊。

埃及軍方的國防預算為 100 億美元，而埃塞俄比亞國防預算為 5.2 億美元。

埃及軍隊約有133萬人，其中現役45萬人，預備役48萬人，準軍事人員40萬人。

埃塞俄比亞軍隊共有 162,000 名士兵——他們都在現役。該國沒有後備力量。

How do Egypt, Ethiopia stack up, militarily?

Egypt calls the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam an “existential threat.” Ethiopia says Egypt and Sudan have nothing to worry about.

By MOHAMMAD AL-KASSIM/THE MEDIA LINE

JUNE 15, 2021 16:34

ETHIOPIA’S GRAND Renaissance Dam undergoes construction work on the Nile River in Benishangul Gumuz Region, Ethiopia, on September 26. (Tiksa Negeri/File Photo/Reuters)

(photo credit: TIKSA NEGERI / REUTERS)

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Talks between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over the use of water running through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, located on the Blue Nile River, have reached a political impasse, amid rising concerns that the crisis may turn into a military conflict.

Ethiopia announced a second filling of the dam is set to take place in July and will collect 13.5 billion cubic meters of water. This is three times more water than it collected last year in its first filling.

The Blue Nile is the main tributary of the Nile River, which provides Egypt with about 90% of its water needs. Sudan and Egypt fear unchecked filling of the massive dam will cause either severe droughts or flooding in some of the areas of their countries. Ethiopia says the dam project is key to its economic development and to generating power for its citizens.

Egypt calls the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam an “existential threat.” Ethiopia says Egypt and Sudan have nothing to worry about.

With all sides standing their ground, what if Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi follows through on his threat to use “all means available,” including force, to protect his country’s interests?

How do Egypt and Ethiopia stack up against each other militarily?

Here is a comparison between the Egyptian and Ethiopian militaries, based on figures from Global Fire Power:

The Egyptian army ranks ninth out of 138 armies around the world, while the Ethiopian army ranks 60th.

The Egyptian Air Force owns 1,053 assorted military aircraft, including 250 fighter jets, 59 transport aircraft, 341 trainers, 304 helicopters and 91 attack helicopters.

The Ethiopian Air Force has only 92 aircraft, 24 of which are fighter jets, 26 are trainers, nine are transport planes, 33 are helicopters and eight are attack helicopters.

The Egyptian army has the upper hand when it comes to tanks with 3,735 tanks, 11,000 armored vehicles, 1,165 self-propelled artillery and 2,200 field artillery.

The Ethiopian army has 365 tanks, 130 armored vehicles, 65 self-propelled artillery and 480 pieces of field artillery.

The Egyptian naval fleet includes 316 marine vessels, including two helicopter carriers, seven corvettes and eight submarines, in addition to 50 patrol ships and nine frigates.

Ethiopia, a landlocked country, does not have a naval fleet.

The defense budget of the Egyptian military is $10 billion, compared to $520 million for the Ethiopian defense budget.

The Egyptian military has about 1,330,000 soldiers, including 450,000 in active service, 480,000 in reserve, and 400,000 paramilitary personnel.

The Ethiopian army has a total of 162,000 soldiers – all of them in active service. The country has no reserve force.

埃爾多安與拜登的第一次會面以沒有達成協議而告終

奧納爾說，埃爾多安希望表明他仍在與拜登合作，並不完全與俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾普京保持一致。

作者：克里斯蒂娜·喬万諾夫斯基/媒體行

2021 年 6 月 15 日 22:24

土耳其總統塔伊普·埃爾多安和美國總統喬·拜登於 2021 年 6 月 14 日在比利時布魯塞爾舉行的北約峰會期間出席雙邊會議。Murat Cetinmuhurdar/總統新聞辦公室/講義

（圖片來源：MURAT CETINMUHURDAR/總統新聞辦公室/通過路透社的講義）

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土耳其總統雷傑普·塔伊普·埃爾多安（Recep Tayyip Erdoğan）在美國總統上任後與喬·拜登（Joe Biden）首次會面後表示，土美關係中的問題是可以解決的。但分析人士告訴媒體專線，土耳其領導人只是試圖在關係嚴重破裂的情況下提升他的國家形象。

埃爾多安說在討論場邊在布魯塞爾北約峰會上週一的是“富有成果的和真誠的”，並多次強調，他希望有可能是未來的合作，包括國防和貿易，但幾乎沒有提供細節。

他還在北約總部告訴記者，拜登說他可能會訪問土耳其。

然而，埃爾多安還列出了幾個爭議領域，包括美國對敘利亞庫爾德武裝的支持和土耳其購買俄羅斯武器，但並未暗示已達成任何協議。

在會後的新聞發布會上，拜登表示他與埃爾多安進行了詳細而富有成效的討論，並補充說他們的政府將繼續會晤。

“我相信我們會與土耳其和美國取得真正的進展，”美國總統說。

前土耳其外交官伊姆達特奧納告訴媒體，無論會議期間討論了什麼，拜登都不會暗示在峰會期間北約內部存在分裂。

“這是埃爾多安的一次面子會議，只是為了向世界展示一個形象，‘我們仍然是北約的盟友，我們仍然是美國的盟友，”目前在佛羅里達州攻讀國際關係博士學位的奧納說。國際大學。

埃爾多安一直試圖改善與西方盟友的關係，因為他面臨著經濟惡化、國內人氣下降和國外孤立的局面。

與美國的關係對土耳其的財政產生重大影響，正如 2018 年導致對安卡拉製裁的外交爭端所證明的那樣，隨后土耳其貨幣崩潰。

奧納爾說，埃爾多安希望表明他仍在與拜登合作，並不完全與俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾普京保持一致。

“土耳其經濟期待 [與美國] 積極和解，但我對這種預期非常消極，”奧納說。

兩國之間的關係在幾個方面明顯惡化，安卡拉購買俄羅斯 S-400 反導彈防禦系統是主要原因之一。

埃爾多安週一表示，他提出了之前關於土耳其使用俄羅斯武器的想法，其中包括建議建立監督機制。

位於費城的外交政策研究所的研究主任亞倫斯坦因表示，這對拜登來說還不夠好，安卡拉未能提供可行的解決方案。

“我認為我們必須習慣這樣的事實，那就是現狀。現在的現狀是美國不會追捕任何人，”斯坦對媒體專線說。

有報導稱，在美國從阿富汗撤出所有軍隊後，安卡拉提出為喀布爾機場提供安全保障，北約秘書長延斯·斯托爾滕貝格表示，土耳其將發揮重要作用，但尚未做出任何決定。

隨著北約峰會聲明的發布，將中國列為安全挑戰，華盛頓和安卡拉之間的分歧更加明顯。

聲明還表示，軍事聯盟仍對邊界安全威脅保持警惕，包括可能從敘利亞襲擊土耳其的導彈。

週日，埃爾多安宣布，他的國家央行已與中國人民銀行達成協議，將現有的貨幣互換安排從 24 億美元提高到 60 億美元，此舉可能會增加外匯儲備。

該協議是在包括美國在內的七國集團在英國完成峰會的同一天達成的，其公報提出了對中國人權的擔憂，並要求調查該國 COVID-19 的起源。

來自安卡拉 Medipol 大學政治學和國際關係系的 Muzaffer Şenel 說，埃爾多安在與拜登的會晤中可能會斷言，土耳其不僅保護自己的邊界，而且保護北約的邊界，因為它是最東端的成員國，共享與敘利亞、伊拉克和伊朗接壤。

安卡拉長期以來一直表示，美國與敘利亞東北部靠近土耳其邊境的庫爾德軍隊合作，反對其安全利益，庫爾德軍隊幫助打擊了伊斯蘭國。

安卡拉說，這些部隊與土耳其的一個民兵組織庫爾德工人黨（PKK）有聯繫，該黨被土耳其、美國和歐盟指定為恐怖組織。

Şenel 說，在土耳其境內，埃爾多安將能夠輕鬆地將會議視為成功，因為他和他的盟友控制的媒體數量眾多。

兩位總統之間的關係一直冷淡，拜登上任後等了三個月才與埃爾多安通電話。

拜登在贏得美國總統大選之前就已經表達了對埃爾多安的不屑一顧。

拜登在 2019 年 12 月接受《紐約時報》採訪時表示，他將支持土耳其的政治反對派，並稱埃爾多安為“獨裁者”。

Şenel 表示，儘管存在重大分歧，但土耳其總統將重視兩國領導人會晤的形象。

“這肯定會為埃爾多安帶來知名度，”Şenel 說。“埃爾多安在國際媒體上被負面描繪，這至少會帶來[形象]接受。”

Erdoğan’s first meeting with Biden ends with no agreements

Oner said Erdoğan is hoping to show that he is still working with Biden and is not fully aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

By KRISTINA JOVANOVSKI/THE MEDIA LINE

JUNE 15, 2021 22:24

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Joe Biden attend a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium June 14, 2021. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Presidential Press Office/Handout

(photo credit: MURAT CETINMUHURDAR/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

The problems in Turkish-US relations are solvable, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said after his first meeting with Joe Biden since the US president took office. But analysts told The Media Line that the Turkish leader is just trying to boost his country’s image amid serious fractures in relations.

Erdoğan said discussions on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels on Monday were “fruitful and sincere” and repeatedly stressed that he hoped there could be future cooperation, including in defense and trade, but provided little detail.

He also told reporters at NATO’s headquarters that Biden said he might visit Turkey.

However, Erdoğan also listed several areas of dispute, including US support for Kurdish forces in Syria and Turkey’s purchase of Russian weapons, without suggesting any agreements had been reached.

At a press conference after the meeting, Biden said he had a detailed and productive discussion with Erdoğan, adding that their governments would continue to meet.

“I’m confident we’ll make real progress with Turkey and the United States,” the American president said.

Imdat Oner, a former Turkish diplomat, told The Media Line that regardless of what was discussed during the meeting, Biden would not suggest there was a split within NATO during a summit.

“This was a face-saving meeting for Erdoğan, just to present an image to the world that ‘We are still a NATO ally, we are still a US ally,” said Oner, who is currently a doctoral candidate in international relations at Florida International University.

Erdoğan has been attempting to improve ties with Western allies as he faces a deteriorating economy, declining popularity at home and isolation abroad.

Relations with the US have a major impact on Turkey’s finances, as proved by a 2018 diplomatic row that led to sanctions against Ankara, followed by a meltdown of Turkish currency.

Oner said Erdoğan is hoping to show that he is still working with Biden and is not fully aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The Turkish economy is expecting positive rapprochement [with the US] but I’m quite negative on that expectation,” said Oner.

Ties between the two countries have become significantly worse on several fronts, with Ankara’s purchase of the Russian S-400 anti-missile defense system as one of the leading reasons.

Erdoğan said on Monday that he brought up previous ideas about Turkey’s use of the Russian weapons, which in the past included suggesting a monitoring mechanism.

Aaron Stein, research director at the Philadelphia-based Foreign Policy Research Institute, said that would not be good enough for Biden and that Ankara has failed to provide workable solutions.

“I think we have to get used to the fact that this is the status quo. The status quo now is the US isn’t going to chase someone,” Stein told The Media Line.

Amid reports that Ankara offered to provide security for Kabul’s airport after the US withdraws all of its troops from Afghanistan, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Turkey will have an important role to play but that no decisions have been made.

Differences between Washington and Ankara were made even more evident with the release of the NATO summit statement labeling China as a security challenge.

The statement also said the military alliance remains vigilant about security threats to borders, including possible missiles hitting Turkey from Syria.

On Sunday, Erdoğan announced that his country’s central bank had agreed with the People's Bank of China to raise an existing currency swap arrangement to $6 billion from $2.4 billion, in a move that could boost foreign reserves.

The agreement came on the same day that the G7, which includes the US, completed a summit in England with a communiqué raising concerns over human rights in China and demanding an investigation into the origins of COVID-19 in the country.

Muzaffer Şenel, from Ankara-based Medipol University’s political science and international relations department, said Erdoğan in his meeting with Biden likely would have asserted that Turkey does not just protect its own borders but also NATO’s border, as it is the easternmost member state, sharing a border with Syria, Iraq and Iran.

Ankara has long said the US is working against its security interests by cooperating with Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, near the Turkish border, who helped fight against the Islamic State.

Ankara says those forces are connected to a militia in Turkey, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), that is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Şenel said that, within Turkey, Erdoğan will be able to easily sell the meeting as a success because of the number of media outlets that he and his allies control.

Relations between the two presidents have been frosty, with Biden waiting three months to hold a phone call with Erdoğan after coming in to office.

Biden had already expressed disdain for Erdoğan before winning the US presidential election.

During a New York Times interview in December 2019, Biden said he would support Turkey’s political opposition and called Erdoğan an “autocrat.”

Şenel said that while significant differences remain, the Turkish president will value the image of the two leaders meeting.

“It will bring visibility for Erdoğan for sure,” Şenel said. “Erdoğan is being portrayed negatively in the international media and this will bring at least an [image of] acceptance.”

現任反對黨領袖的內塔尼亞胡仍在使用總理在貝爾福街的住所，就好像他沒有被投票罷免一樣，利用缺乏明確的過渡規則

通過塔爾施耐德今天下午 4:19

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Balfour 街上的總理官邸（Yaakov Saar / GPO）

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2021 年 6 月 13 日，以色列即將卸任的總理本雅明·內塔尼亞胡與他的繼任者、即將上任的總理納夫塔利·貝內特在耶路撒冷議會舉行的新政府投票特別會議後握手。 (Emmanuel Dunand / 法新社)

· 位於耶路撒冷 Balfour 和 Smolenskin 街拐角處的總理官邸位置相對簡陋，任命也很謙虛，但在本傑明·內塔尼亞胡 (Benjamin Netanyahu) 過去 12 年的任職期間，他將其作為權力的工具加以運用：他尋求尊重的人在那裡收到個人會議的邀請；那些需要解決分數的人受到冷落。

例如，新任內政部長阿耶萊特·沙克德 (Ayelet Shaked) 從未訪問過該住所，她的政治生涯開始於管理內塔尼亞胡的辦公室，受到妻子薩拉的鄙視。另一方面，當內塔尼亞胡最近尋求在伊斯蘭黨領袖曼蘇爾·阿巴斯（Mansour Abbas）的幫助下組建政府時，他邀請他到貝爾福來表示他的認真。

即使是現在，隨著新政府和新總理宣誓就職，現任反對黨領袖的內塔尼亞胡仍然住在歷史悠久的拜特阿吉翁，就好像這是他的抵押貸款的名字。

據第 12 頻道周一報導，內塔尼亞胡的辦公室已經告訴他的繼任者納夫塔利·貝內特的助手，他至少在幾週內不會離開官邸。報導稱貝內特無動於衷，表明他正在努力不與他的前任對抗。

但內塔尼亞胡所做的不僅僅是在住所睡覺和吃飯。週一晚上，他在那裡接待了著名的客人 ——尼基·黑利和基督教聯合為以色列創始人約翰·哈吉。

黑利曾在美國前總統唐納德特朗普的領導下擔任駐聯合國大使，並經常被提及為可能的 2024 年共和黨總統候選人，後來在推特上發布了一張宅邸內會議的照片，並稱內塔尼亞胡為“總理”。

“我們還沒有聽到他最後的消息，”她在推特上寫道，這可能表明了他們談話的話題。

多年來，批評者一直指責內塔尼亞胡將國家的需求與他自己的需求混為一談。現在看來，在他看來，貝內特只是總理辦公室的客人，新聯盟將在數週內瓦解，而他內塔尼亞胡將很快重新掌權。在這個前提下，何必費心收拾行李呢？

Balfour 街上的總理官邸（Yaakov Saar / GPO）

這種奇怪的情況引發了幾個問題。

首先，以色列沒有正式的權力移交協議，包括搬出官邸等程序性問題。將建議司法部長或其他高級官員一勞永逸地正式製定相關指示。

為過渡留出幾天時間是合理的，因為權力的變化發生得很快，幾乎沒有提前通知，並且在完成之前沒有任何保證。儘管如此，像內塔尼亞胡那樣利用那個時期的領導層是不合適的。

總理辦公室的一名法律顧問已經建議國家停止支付內塔尼亞胡及其家人在住所的公用事業費用。

那麼，當內塔尼亞胡家族繼續居住在貝爾福街時，誰來支付他們的賬單呢？是否有人在這個暮光之城監督此事，還是以貝內特為首的政府決定允許內塔尼亞胡隨心所欲地使用這一國家資產和象徵？

內塔尼亞胡斯對住宅的依戀已經成為一個全國性的笑話——他們對隨之而來的一些禮物的依戀，成為腐敗審判的主題。

2021 年 6 月 14 日，納夫塔利·貝內特總理抵達耶路撒冷總統官邸與新政府合影。（Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90）

貝內特希望避免處理內塔尼亞胡繼續使用住宅的問題是可以原諒的；這並不在他的工作描述中。但是，首相辦公室裡應該監督權力移交的專業人士在哪裡？

啊對。儘管國家審計長一再呼籲填補該空缺，但內塔尼亞胡已經離開總理辦公室三年了。

這也是內塔尼亞胡的遺產。

Netanyahu, now the opposition chief, is still using the PM’s residence on Balfour Street as if he hasn’t been voted out of office, exploiting the lack of clear rules of transition

By TAL SCHNEIDERToday, 4:19 pm

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The Prime Minister's Residence on Balfour Street (Yaakov Saar / GPO)

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The official residence of the prime minister on the corner of Balfour and Smolenskin streets in Jerusalem is one of relatively humble location and modest appointments, but during his past 12 years in office Benjamin Netanyahu wielded it as an implement of power: Those he sought to honor received invitations for personal meetings there; those with whom scores needed to be settled were snubbed.

For instance, Ayelet Shaked — the new interior minister, who started her political career managing Netanyahu’s office and who is despised by his wife, Sara — has never visited the residence. On the other hand, when Netanyahu recently sought to recruit the help of Mansour Abbas, head of the Islamist Ra’am party, in forming a government, he signaled his seriousness by inviting him to Balfour.

Even now, with a new government and a new prime minister sworn in, Netanyahu, now head of the opposition, is still living in the historic Beit Aghion as if it were his name on the mortgage payments.

Netanyahu’s office has told aides to his successor, Naftali Bennett, that he will not vacate the official residence for several more weeks at least, Channel 12 reported Monday. The report said Bennett was indifferent, indicating he is making an effort not to antagonize his predecessor.

But Netanyahu is doing more than sleeping and eating at the residence. On Monday night he hosted prominent guests there — Nikki Haley and Christians United for Israel founder John Hagee.

Haley, who served as ambassador to the UN under former US president Donald Trump and is often mentioned as a possible 2024 Republican presidential contender, later tweeted a photo from the meeting inside the residence, and referred to Netanyahu as “prime minister.”

“We have not heard the last from him,” she tweeted, in a possible indication of the topic of their conversation.

For years, critics have accused Netanyahu of conflating the state’s needs with his own. Now it seems that as far as he is concerned, Bennett is just a guest in the Prime Minister’s Office, the new coalition will collapse within weeks and he, Netanyahu, will quickly be back in power. Given that premise, why bother to pack his bags?

The Prime Minister’s Residence on Balfour Street (Yaakov Saar / GPO)

The strange situation raises several issues.

First of all, there is no official protocol for the handover of power in Israel, including on procedural matters like vacating the official residence. The attorney general or another top official would be advised to formalize relevant instructions once and for all.

It’s reasonable to allow several days for the transition, since changes of power take place swiftly, with little advance notice and no guarantees until they are done. Still, it is inappropriate to make use of the trappings of leadership during that time, as Netanyahu is doing.

A legal adviser at the Prime Minister’s Office has already recommended that the state stop covering Netanyahu and his family’s utility costs at the residence.

So who is paying the Netanyahu family’s bills while it continues to reside on Balfour Street? Is someone even supervising the matter during this twilight zone, or has the government, headed by Bennett, decided to allow Netanyahu to make use of this state asset and symbol as he wishes?

The Netanyahus’ attachment to the residence has become a national joke — and their attachment to some of the gifts that came along with it, the subject of a corruption trial.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett arrives at the president’s residence in Jerusalem for a group photo of the new government, June 14, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90)

Bennett can be excused for wishing to avoid dealing with the issue of Netanyahu’s continued use of the residence; it’s not really in his job description. But where are the professionals in the Prime Minister’s Office who should be overseeing the handover of power?

Oh, right. Netanyahu has left the Prime Minister’s Office without a director general for three years, despite repeated calls by the state comptroller to fill that vacancy.

That, too, is Netanyahu’s legacy.

Lapid 抨擊種族主義口號的“恥辱”；33名巴勒斯坦人稱在警察衝突中受傷；招牌上寫著“騙子貝內特”；加沙威脅下的航班改道；縱火氣球引發 20 起火災

由TOI 工作人員提供今天，晚上 8:15更新於晚上 8:28

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2021 年 6 月 15 日，以色列民族主義猶太人在大馬士革門外向耶路撒冷老城遊行時揮舞著以色列國旗。（Ahmad Gharabli/法新社）

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2021 年 6 月 15 日，以色列安全部隊驅散東耶路撒冷大馬士革門附近的巴勒斯坦人。 (Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP)

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2021 年 6 月 15 日，消防隊員試圖撲滅由以色列南部以色列和加沙邊境附近的燃燒氣球引起的火災。（以色列消防局）

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以色列安全部隊於 2021 年 6 月 15 日在大馬士革門部署到耶路撒冷老城 (AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)

週二，數千名右翼民族主義者在耶路撒冷舊城的部分地區遊行，並高呼一些種族主義口號，因為據說以色列已通過埃及調解員警告哈馬斯，將對來自加沙地帶的任何火箭彈進行強硬和立即反應。

警方估計耶路撒冷的參加人數為 5,000 人，全市部署了約 2,000 名警察參加此次活動。

發佈到社交媒體上的視頻顯示，右翼遊行者高呼“阿拉伯人之死”以及“Shuafat 著火了”，指的是東耶路撒冷社區，以及“耶路撒冷是我們的”。

跳過廣告

在對批准遊行的決定表示支持的同時，外交部長亞伊爾·拉皮德 (Yair Lapid) 立即譴責了“阿拉伯人之死”的口號。

拉皮德在推特上說：“以色列國旗代表仇恨和種族主義的極端主義分子令人反感且不可原諒。” “令人無法理解的是，人們可以一隻手拿著以色列國旗，同時高喊‘阿拉伯人去死’。這不是猶太教或以色列人，也絕對不是我們的國旗所象徵的。這些人是以色列國的恥辱。”

遊行是對周日宣誓就職的新政府的第一次重大考驗，在原先的國旗遊行於 5 月 10 日耶路撒冷日停止後重新安排，當時加沙地帶的哈馬斯統治者向耶路撒冷發射火箭。

遊行在下午 6 點前剛開始時，警察和巴勒斯坦人在老城附近爆發了衝突，巴勒斯坦紅新月會稱他們處理了其中 33 人。據醫療服務機構稱，其中 6 名傷者因橡膠或海綿頭子彈受傷而住院，該機構還表示，另一名巴勒斯坦人被實彈擊傷，但警方阻止他們撤離他進行治療。

一些巴勒斯坦反抗議者高呼“用火和血，我們將解放巴勒斯坦”，Kan 公共廣播公司報導。

視頻顯示，巴勒斯坦人向騎警投擲石塊，導致一名騎警從馬上墜落。

警方以涉嫌擾亂治安、投擲石塊和襲擊警務人員的罪名逮捕了17人。據警方稱，兩名警察受傷並被送往醫院接受治療。

當遊行者聚集在耶路撒冷的 Hanevi'im 街時，衝突發生了，他們從那裡前往大馬士革門，這是老城的一個熱點。作為與警方商定的路線的一部分，遊行者不被允許通過大門，但可以通過它，一些參與者被允許下到大門外的廣場。

遊行者隨後通過雅法門進入老城，儘管遊行路線被改變以防止這種情況發生，但仍有一些婦女和青年穿過穆斯林區。活動結束後，參與者隨後前往西牆進行祈禱服務。

一些參與者與阿拉伯記者搭訕，一名記者分享了視頻，視頻顯示遊行者對他們大喊大叫，一名男子朝他們吐口水。

一些遊行者高呼反對總理納夫塔利·貝內特（Naftali Bennett），人們看到海報上描繪了新總理，旁邊寫著“騙子貝內特”。

海報顯然是指貝內特違反了他在選舉前不組建政府的承諾，他與拉皮德斷絕了首相職位，並且不依賴伊斯蘭黨的支持。

幾位反對政府的極右翼立法者參加了遊行，其中包括宗教猶太復國主義領袖 Bezalel Smotrich 及其派系立法者 Itamar Ben Gvir 和 Orit Struck。

前總理本傑明·內塔尼亞胡的利庫德集團的 MK May Golan 和 Shlomo Karhi 也參加了，視頻顯示後者在大馬士革門外與 Smotrich 跳舞。

聯合名單的立法者在舊城外集會譴責遊行，主要是阿拉伯政治聯盟的領導人艾曼奧德說，以色列首都有朝一日將成為巴勒斯坦國的首都。

“在這些牆上，巴勒斯坦的旗幟將被懸掛起來，耶路撒冷將成為重新奪回的巴勒斯坦的首都，”他告訴坎公共廣播公司。

“我們的人民會讓他們感到羞恥並從這些地方撤退，”他說，指的是遊行中的猶太遊行者。

2021 年 6 月 15 日，以色列民族主義猶太人在大馬士革門外向耶路撒冷老城遊行時揮舞著以色列國旗。（Ahmad Gharabli/法新社）

Ra'am 首席曼蘇爾·阿巴斯 (Mansour Abbas) 的伊斯蘭政黨是多元化執政聯盟的一部分，早些時候稱遊行是“肆無忌憚的挑釁”，並表示應該取消。

與此同時，第 12 頻道的新聞稱，以色列通過埃及警告哈馬斯，將對來自加沙的任何火箭彈進行嚴厲和立即的回應。該網絡援引一位外交消息人士的話說，以色列將回應縱火氣球襲擊，但會選擇時機。

該報告稱，以色列警告哈馬斯，任何暴力升級都將危及埃及人試圖促成的允許貨物進入加沙並改善那裡的條件的諒解，同時表示以色列已努力確保遊行不會穿過舊城的穆斯林區。

該網絡還向外交消息人士詢問，鑑於貝內特此前發表的強硬言論，貝內特擔任總理後會做什麼。

“一方面存在疑慮，我們想證明這裡確實存在一個新的等式，就像我們在城牆守護者行動之後承諾的那樣，”消息人士說。“另一方面，我們不想建立哈馬斯希望我們在加沙和耶路撒冷之間建立的聯繫。會有回應，並且會以多種形式表達。”

Kan 公共廣播公司報導說，以色列已向巴勒斯坦權力機構和約旦保證，他們不會尋求升級。此外，該媒體稱，美國也表達了對局勢的擔憂。

據巴勒斯坦媒體報導，這些報導是在以色列國防軍在遊行前在耶路撒冷外部署鐵穹導彈防禦系統之後發布的。以色列國防軍還在該國其他地方部署了鐵穹砲台，並向西岸增援。

飛行跟踪器顯示，往返本古里安機場的空中交通正在改道向北，遠離加沙，以避免任何潛在的火箭彈襲擊。

明顯的預防措施是在以色列南部加沙附近引發了多起火災之際，消防部門報告說，至少有 20 起是由從加沙地帶發射的氣球燃燒裝置引發的。

據希伯來媒體報導，一個附在一個氣球上的爆炸裝置在 Sha'ar Hanegev 地區委員會的一個基布茲上空爆炸，嚇壞了操場上的孩子們。據說孩子們在聽到爆炸聲後跑到防空洞，沒有受傷的報告。

2021 年 6 月 15 日，在以色列-加沙邊境，一名以色列消防員試圖撲滅巴勒斯坦人從加沙地帶發射的燃燒氣球引起的火災。（美聯社照片/Tsafirr Abayov）

數十名巴勒斯坦抗議者與以色列國防軍部隊在加沙邊境也爆發了衝突。據報導，一名巴勒斯坦人腿部中彈，受輕傷。

如果遊行繼續進行，以色列國防軍一直在為加沙戰事捲土重來以及在巴勒斯坦威脅暴力之後整個西岸爆發衝突做準備。

第 13 頻道的新聞援引未具名的巴勒斯坦消息人士的話說，埃及已要求哈馬斯不要引起事態升級，並警告說，這樣的舉動將使開羅“尷尬”，而周一批准遊行的貝內特政府將做出強有力的回應。

據消息人士稱，哈馬斯回應說“所有選項都在討論中”，但“如果事件沒有失控”就可以避免升級。

遊行結束時，國防部長本尼·甘茨會見了辛貝特首領納達夫·阿加曼和以色列國防軍參謀長阿維夫·科哈維，以評估局勢。

5 月 10 日——耶路撒冷日——在最初的遊行期間發生火箭彈襲擊，當時由於計劃中的東耶路撒冷房屋驅逐和警察在聖殿山對穆斯林暴動者採取行動的緊張局勢已經加劇，引發了以色列和哈馬斯領導的長達 11 天的激烈戰鬥加沙地帶的恐怖分子，以及約旦河西岸一連串低級別衝突以及以色列境內阿拉伯人和猶太人之間的暴民暴力。

自戰鬥結束以來，哈馬斯一再警告說，它可能會因耶路撒冷的事態發展而重新開始敵對行動，並對遊行計劃的敵意越來越強。

重新安排的活動最初計劃於上週四舉行，但由於警方拒絕批准其計劃路線穿過舊城大馬士革門入口和穆斯林區，因此推遲到本週二。

‘Death to Arabs’: Nationalist Jerusalem flag march held under ramped up security

Lapid slams ‘disgrace’ of racist chant; 33 Palestinians said hurt in police clashes; signs say ‘Bennett the liar’; flights rerouted amid Gaza threat; arson balloons spark 20 fires

By TOI STAFFToday, 8:15 pmUpdated at 8:28 pm

· 1Thousands of right-wing nationalists marched through parts of Jerusalem’s Old City on Tuesday, with some chanting racist slogans, as Israel was said to have warned Hamas, via Egyptian mediators, of a tough and immediate response to any rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.

Police estimated turnout in Jerusalem at 5,000 participants and some 2,000 officers were deployed across the city for the event.

Footage posted to social media showed the right-wing marchers chanting “Death to Arabs” as well as “Shuafat is on fire,” referring to the East Jerusalem neighborhood, and “Jerusalem is ours.”

While voicing support for the decision to approve the march, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid immediately denounced the chants of “Death to Arabs.”

“The fact that there are extremist elements for whom the flag of Israel represents hate and racism is revolting and unforgivable,” Lapid tweeted. “It is incomprehensible that people can hold the Israeli flag in one hand and shout ‘Death to Arabs’ at the same time. This isn’t Judaism or Israeliness, and it is definitely not what our flag symbolizes. These people are a disgrace to the nation of Israel.”

The parade, the first major test of the new government sworn in Sunday, was rescheduled after the original Flag March was halted on Jerusalem Day, May 10, when the Gaza Strip’s Hamas rulers fired rockets at Jerusalem.

As the march began just before 6 p.m., clashes broke out near the Old City between police and Palestinians, 33 of whom the Palestinian Red Crescent said it treated. Six of the injured were hospitalized for wounds from rubber or sponge-tipped bullets, according to the medical service, which also said another Palestinian was injured by live fire, but that police were preventing them from evacuating him for treatment.

Some Palestinian counter-protestors chanted that “with fire and blood, we’ll liberate Palestine,” the Kan public broadcaster reported.

Video showed Palestinians throwing rocks at mounted police officers, causing one to fall off his horse.

Police arrested 17 people on suspicion of disturbing the peace, throwing rocks and assaulting officers. Two cops were injured and taken for medical treatment, according to police.

The clashes came as marchers gathered on Jerusalem’s Hanevi’im Street, from where they headed toward the Damascus Gate, a flashpoint in the Old City. As part of the route agreed upon with police, the marchers weren’t permitted to pass through the gate but could go past it, with some participants allowed to go down to the plaza just outside the gate.

The marchers then entered the Old City via the Jaffa Gate, with some women and youths heading through the Muslim Quarter despite the parade route being changed to prevent that occurring. The participants then marched to the Western Wall for prayer services at the conclusion of the event.

A number of participants accosted Arab journalists, with a reporter sharing video showing marchers shouting curses at them, and one man spitting in their direction.

Some of the marchers chanted against Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and posters were seen depicting the new premier alongside the text “Bennett the liar.”

The posters apparently referred to Bennett’s breaking of his pre-election pledge not to form a government in which he switched off the premiership with Lapid and not to rely on the Islamist Ra’am party’s support.

A poster reading ‘Bennett the liar’ is seen at the nationalist flag march, outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City, June 15, 2021. (Nati Shohat/Flash90)

Several far-right lawmakers opposed to the government took part in the march, among them Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich and his faction’s lawmakers Itamar Ben Gvir and Orit Struck.

MKs May Golan and Shlomo Karhi of former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party were also taking part, with video showing the latter dancing with Smotrich outside the Damascus Gate.

Lawmakers from the Joint List rallied outside the Old City to denounce the march, with the predominantly Arab political alliance’s leader Ayman Odeh saying that the Israeli capital will one day be the capital of a Palestinian state.

“On these walls the flag of Palestine will be hoisted and Jerusalem will be the capital of recaptured Palestine,” he told the Kan public broadcaster.

“Our people will cause them to be ashamed and withdraw from these places,” he said, referring to the Jewish marchers in the parade.

Nationalist Israel Jews wave Israeli flags as they march outside the Damascus Gate to Jerusalem’s Old City, on June 15, 2021. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)

Ra’am chief Mansour Abbas, whose Islamist party is part of the diverse ruling coalition, earlier called the march an “unbridled provocation” and said it should have been canceled.

Meanwhile, Channel 12 news said Israel warned Hamas via Egypt that it would there would be a tough and immediate response to any rocket fire from Gaza. The network quoted a diplomatic source vowing Israel would respond to the arson balloon attacks, but would pick the timing.

The report said Israel warned Hamas that any escalation in violence would jeopardize understandings on allowing goods into Gaza and improving conditions there that the Egyptians are trying to broker, while signaling it made efforts to ensure the march would not go through the Old City’s Muslim Quarter.

The network also asked the diplomatic source what Bennett would now do as prime minister in light of hawkish comments he has previously made.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (L) and Defense Minister Benny Gantz at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem on June 14, 2021 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

“On the one hand there are doubts, we want to show that there really is a new equation here like we promised after Operation Guardian of the Walls,” the source said. “On the other hand, we don’t want to create the connection that Hamas wants us to create between Gaza and Jerusalem. There will be a response and it will be expressed in a variety of forms.”

The Kan public broadcaster reported that Israel had reassured both the Palestinian Authority and Jordan that they were not looking for an escalation. Additionally, the outlet said the United States had also expressed concerns about the situation.

The reports came after the Israel Defense Forces deployed Iron Dome missile defense batteries outside Jerusalem ahead of the march, according to Palestinian media reports. The IDF also deployed Iron Dome batteries elsewhere in the country and sent reinforcements to the West Bank.

Flight trackers showed air traffic to and from Ben Gurion Airport was being rerouted northward further away from Gaza to avoid any potential rocket fire.

The apparent precautions came as numerous blazes were sparked in southern Israel near Gaza, with fire services reporting at least 20 were sparked by balloon-borne incendiary devices launched from the Strip.

An explosive device attached to one balloon exploded over a kibbutz in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, startling children in a playground, according to Hebrew media reports. The children were said to have run to a bomb shelter after hearing the blast and there were no reports of injuries.

An Israeli firefighter attempts to extinguish a fire caused by an incendiary balloon launched by Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, on the Israel-Gaza border, Israel, June 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Clashes also broke out between dozens of Palestinian protesters and IDF troops on the Gaza border. One Palestinian was reportedly shot in the leg, suffering light injuries.

The IDF has been bracing for a resurgence in Gaza fighting and a flare-up of clashes across the West Bank following Palestinian threats of violence if the march went ahead.

Channel 13 news cited unnamed Palestinian sources saying Egypt had asked Hamas not to cause an escalation, warning that such a move would “embarrass” Cairo and that Bennett’s government — which approved the parade on Monday — would respond forcefully.

According to the sources, Hamas responded that “all options are on the table” but escalation could be avoided “if the event doesn’t get out of control.”

At the conclusion of the march, Defense Minister Benny Gantz met with Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman and IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi for an assessment of the situation.

The May 10 — Jerusalem Day — rocket attack during the original parade, which came amid already rising tensions over planned East Jerusalem home evictions and police actions against Muslim rioters on the Temple Mount, touched off 11 days of intense fighting between Israel and Hamas-led terrorists in the Gaza Strip, as well as a rash of lower-level clashes in the West Bank and mob violence between Arabs and Jews inside Israel.

Since the fighting ended, Hamas has repeatedly warned that it could reopen hostilities over developments in Jerusalem, and has responded with increased belligerence to plans for the march.

The rescheduled event was initially planned for last Thursday, but was postponed to this Tuesday when police refused to authorize its planned route through the Old City’s Damascus Gate entrance and Muslim Quarter.

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以色列第 36屆政府是一個勇敢的聯盟。每一位領導他或她的政黨進入這個奇怪而笨拙的政府的領導人都冒了風險。極左的梅雷茨賦予了極右翼的亞米娜權力，而亞米娜與梅雷茨的合作激怒了它的大部分基礎。Yisrael Beitenu 不久前指責阿拉伯以色列人叛國，現在已經接受了伊斯蘭政黨 Ra'am 作為聯盟夥伴；Ra'am 的創始章程稱為猶太復國主義種族主義，已加入猶太復國主義政府。

在這個聯盟的領導人中，沒有人比 Yair Lapid 更能自我犧牲。儘管拉皮德是反內塔尼亞胡聯盟的高級政治家，也是該聯盟最大黨的領袖，但他聽從本尼·甘茨的意見，後者似乎更有可能擊敗內塔尼亞胡。現在他已經聽從了聯盟最小派系之一的領導人納夫塔利·貝內特 (Naftali Bennett) 的意見。通過這樣做，拉皮德體現了領導力和對以色列的愛的意義，在我們的政治中恢復了其失去的高貴。

兩名以色列人在以色列議會新政府宣誓就職儀式上展出。有褻瀆的以色列，MKs 大喊大叫，臉上充滿仇恨，踐踏國家尊嚴，因為他們拒絕讓候任總理在他自己的就職典禮上發言。還有來自 Naftali Bennet 和 Yair Lapid 的以色列人，他們在展示他們的治愈聯盟時充滿激情、理性和自製力。

經過多年官方激發的仇恨和分裂運動，旨在滿足一個人的政治需求，我們擁有該國歷史上最多元化的政府。在經歷了自 1948 年以來以色列阿拉伯人和以色列猶太人之間最嚴重的暴力事件之後，我們有了全國第一個猶太-阿拉伯聯盟。

如果新聯盟的成就只不過是將以色列從那些試圖打破民族主義與民主、正派與權力之間微妙平衡的人手中解放出來——dayenu，這就足夠了。如果新聯盟的成就只不過是提供了一個以色列的反願景，該願景努力尊重和管理其本質差異並將國家置於宗派需求之上——dayenu。

這個聯盟能持久嗎？鑑於其僅佔多數和內部矛盾，勝算不大。然而，即使它沒有在任期內存活下來，它也已經贏了。

這個政府將在其完全不同的組成部分之間不斷爭取平衡。由於珍貴的議程陷入僵局和受阻，各方都會感到沮喪。批評者會指責它是一個不是國家統一而是癱瘓的政府。

然而，尋求平衡需要成為以色列項目的核心。悖論是來自一百個流亡者的猶太人聚集在一起的必然結果，我們對猶太人和猶太國家的意義有著所有相互矛盾的願景和恐懼以及概念。然後將不屬於我們民族團結神話的一部分的以色列阿拉伯公民考慮在內，他們的以色列身份充其量是脆弱的，尋求平衡變得幾乎不可能。

我們必然是一個聯盟體系。只有聯盟才能試圖解決以色列人的悖論。這個政府將是我們在克制和謙遜方面最激進的實驗，這是建立聯盟的核心。

推動這個聯盟的隱含問題是：是什麼讓我們團結在一起？近年來，這個問題變得越來越緊迫，因為我們身份的兩個基本要素——國家的猶太性質和民主性質——日益緊張。不久前，大多數以色列人都同意，沒有一個以色列不代表猶太人民和猶太歷史的連續性，同時也不渴望履行我們的宣言的承諾。為每個公民完全平等而獨立。

今天，在很大程度上要感謝前任政府，以色列人的基本假設不再是理所當然的。這個政府的任務首先是通過肯定和捍衛以色列的猶太人和民主身份來恢復我們的共同點。

內塔尼亞胡統治的最後幾年是對以色列社會可能瓦解的一瞥。這個政府的矛盾是它的希望之源。

Yossi Klein Halevi 是 Shalom Hartman 研究所的高級研究員，他是杜克大學的伊瑪目 Abdullah Antepli 和穆斯林領導倡議 (MLI) 的 Maital Friedman 的聯合主任，也是該研究所 iEngage 項目的成員。他的最新著作《給我的巴勒斯坦鄰居的信》是紐約時報的暢銷書。他的前一本書《像夢想家》被評為 2013 年全國猶太圖書委員會年度圖書。

JUN 14, 2021, 6:03 PM

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Israel’s 36th government is a coalition of the courageous. Each leader who has led his or her party into this strange and unwieldy government has taken a risk. The hard left Meretz has empowered the hard right Yamina, and Yamina has enraged much of its base by partnering with Meretz. Yisrael Beitenu, which not long ago accused Arab Israelis of treason, has embraced the Islamist party, Ra’am, as a coalition partner,; and Ra’am, whose founding charter calls Zionism racism, has joined a Zionist government.

Among the leaders of this coalition, none has been more self-sacrificing than Yair Lapid. Though Lapid was the senior politician within the anti-Netanyahu coalition and head of its largest party, he deferred to Benny Gantz, who seemed the more likely to defeat Netanyahu. And now he has deferred to Naftali Bennett, leader of one of the coalition’s smallest factions. In so doing, Lapid has embodied the meaning of leadership and love for Israel, restoring to our politics its lost nobility.

Two Israels were on display at the Knesset swearing-in ceremony for the new government. There was the Israel of desecration, MKs shouting, faces contorted with hate, trampling on the dignity of the state as they refused to allow the prime minister-designate to speak at his own inauguration. And there was the Israel of Naftali Bennet and Yair Lapid, speaking with passion and reason and self-control as they presented their coalition of healing.

After years of officially inspired campaigns of hatred and divisiveness, contrived to serve one man’s political needs, we have the most diverse government in the country’s history. After the worst violence between Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews since 1948, we have the nation’s first Jewish-Arab coalition.

If the new coalition achieves nothing more than liberating Israel from those who have tried to unravel the delicate balance between nationalism and democracy, decency and power – dayenu, it is sufficient. If the new coalition achieves nothing more than offering a counter-vision of an Israel that strives to respect and manage its essential differences and place the country above sectarian needs – dayenu.

Can this coalition last? Given its bare majority and inner contradictions, the odds aren’t brilliant. And yet even if it doesn’t survive its term, it has already won.

This government will be in a constant struggle for balance among its radically disparate components. There will be frustration on all sides as cherished agendas are stalemated and thwarted. Critics will accuse it of being a government not of national unity but of paralysis.

Yet the search for balance needs to be the heart of the Israeli project. Paradox is the inevitable result of the ingathering of the Jews home from a hundred exiles, with all our contradictory visions and fears and notions of the meaning of Jewishness and a Jewish state. And then factor into this mix Israel’s Arab citizens who are not part of our national mythos of ingathering, whose Israeli identity is at best tenuous, and the search for equilibrium becomes nearly impossible.

We are by necessity a coalition system. Only a coalition can attempt to hold the paradoxes of Israeliness. This government will be our most radical experiment in the restraint and humility that is the heart of coalition-building.

The implicit question driving this coalition is: What holds us together? That question has become increasingly urgent in recent years, as the two foundational elements of our identity – the Jewish and democratic nature of the state – are placed in increasing tension. Once, not so long ago, most Israelis agreed that there could be no Israel that didn’t represent the Jewish people and the continuity of Jewish history and that didn’t, at the same time, aspire to fulfill the promise of our Declaration of Independence for full equality for every citizen.

Today, thanks in no small measure to the previous government, that basic assumption of Israeliness can no longer be taken for granted. The task of this government is, above all, to restore our sense of commonality, by affirming and defending Israel’s Jewish and democratic identities.

The last years of Netanyahu’s reign were a glimpse into the possible unraveling of Israeli society. This government’s contradictions are the source of its hope.

Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, where he is co-director, together Imam Abdullah Antepli of Duke University and Maital Friedman, of the Muslim Leadership Initiative (MLI), and a member of the Institute's iEngage Project. His latest book, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor, is a New York Times bestseller. His previous book, Like Dreamers, was named the 2013 National Jewish Book Council Book of the Year.

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