以色列新当选的议会本周宣誓就职，正式启动组建下一届政府的程序。总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡的主要政治对手加迪·艾森科特率先获得尝试组建执政联盟的机会。
Israel's newly elected Knesset was sworn into office this week, formally starting the process of forming the country's next government. Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leading political rival, has been given the first opportunity to try to assemble a governing coalition.
以色列新当选的议会本周在耶路撒冷宣誓就职，开启新的议会任期，并启动了组建下一届政府的正式程序。
Israel's newly elected Knesset took its oath of office in Jerusalem this week, opening a new parliamentary term and setting in motion the formal process of building the country's next government.
根据以色列的政治制度，组建联盟的任务通常首先交给被认为最有可能赢得多数支持的议员。这一授权已交给退役将军加迪·艾森科特，他已成为本雅明·内塔尼亚胡最突出的政治挑战者。艾森科特获得组建联盟的机会，意味着过去二十年中大部分时间执掌以色列的内塔尼亚胡有可能被取代，不再担任总理。
Under Israel's political system, the task of forming a coalition typically falls first to the lawmaker seen as having the best chance of winning majority support. That mandate has gone to Gadi Eisenkot, a retired general who has become Benjamin Netanyahu's most prominent political challenger. Eisenkot's chance to build a coalition raises the possibility that Netanyahu, who has governed Israel for much of the past two decades, could be replaced as prime minister.
在以色列，组建联盟通常需要各党派就内阁职位和政策优先事项进行数周讨价还价，较小的派系往往握有重要筹码。以色列法律给予获得授权者一段有限的时间来提出可行的联盟方案，之后这一机会可能转交给对立的议员，因此预计未来几周议会各党派将进行密集谈判。
Coalition building in Israel usually involves weeks of bargaining among parties over cabinet positions and policy priorities, with smaller factions often holding significant leverage. Israeli law gives whoever holds the mandate a limited period to present a workable coalition before the opportunity can be handed to a rival lawmaker, meaning the coming weeks are expected to bring intensive negotiations among the Knesset's parties.