Al-Monitor Daily Briefing: Abbas’ revenge against Hamas, US, Israel

[logo]( [fb_icon]( [twitter_icon]( EDITOR'S PICKS Thursday, March 22 | Daily Briefing [By: Shlomi Eldar on Wednesday, Mar. 21, 2018]( Israel 1 [Abbas’ revenge against Hamas, US, Israel]( Israeli officials believe that a decision by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to reimpose sanctions on Gaza is meant to entangle Israel and Hamas in a military adventure. Washington 2 [US negotiator: 'We will see' if Trump can be sold on Iran deal fix]( Washington's chief representative to US-European talks on the Iran nuclear deal said that while progress is being made in trans-Atlantic discussions, it's unclear if an agreement will be reached. Egypt 3 [Why Sisi doesn't need an official campaign]( Although many Egyptian shop and restaurant owners are hanging banners of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ahead of this month's presidential vote, it's not always out of a sense of true support. 4 [Pompeo appointment cements notion in Tehran that US will exit Iran deal]( In Tehran, the reaction to the appointment of Pompeo as secretary of state is an increasing sense that Trump is bent on withdrawing from the nuclear deal. 5 [Protests in Tunisia's phosphate regions threaten economy]( The recurrent disruption of phosphate production puts Tunisia's economy in the face of new challenges. Egypt 6 [Cairo calls on Egyptian expats for water advice]( The Egyptian government hosted a conference in Luxor and invited Egyptian experts living abroad to take part in helping address issues related to the country's water insecurity. Iraq 7 [Hebrew prophet's tomb in Iraq saved from collapse]( The synagogue housing the tomb of the prophet Nahum — the only surviving prophet’s tomb from Mesopotamia — has been saved from collapse through the efforts of local Christians and with the help of a US-based organization. Egypt 8 [Egypt unmoved on Ethiopia's plan to fill Renaissance Dam reservoir]( The Ethiopian government has released its plan for filling the reservoir of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, but Cairo is balking due to stalled technical and impact studies. Turkey 9 [Virtual farming game cheats Turks out of real property]( Turkish prosecutors have opened an investigation into a young man being accused of using a Ponzi scheme to bilk around 80,000 Turks out of millions of dollars. Jordan 10 [Jordanian coach instills confidence in youths with disabilities]( In a makeshift center in Jordan's Husn Palestinian refugee camp, a retired military coach not only teaches martial arts to youths with disabilities but also gives them confidence. Palestine 11 [Egypt prods Hamas on next PLC head]( Few details have emerged from meetings between a Hamas delegation and Egyptian officials last month, but it is believed that Hamas is being encouraged to cede its speakership in the Palestinian Legislative Council as part of a leadership succession plan. 12 [Iran’s supreme leader urges people to support national products]( In his annual Nowruz speech, Ayatollah Khamenei called on Iranians to support domestic industry by buying locally made products. Israel 13 [Can Israeli Labor head mend fences with party leaders?]( Israeli Labor Chairman Avi Gabbay now realizes that his strategy of attracting Likud voters has failed and that his own party is crashing in the polls. Turkey 14 [First female deputy of religious body comes at tough time for Turkish women]( Huriye Marti has assumed the highest office at Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs thus far by a woman, but is it a step in the right direction for the situation of women in Turkey? STAY CONNECTED [fb_icon_footer]( [twitter_icon_footer]( [instagram_icon_footer]( [rss_icon_footer]( CONTACT US [Support & Contact]( [Advertise](mailto:advertise@al-monitor.com) NEWSLETTERS [Subscribe]( TERMS OF USE [Visitor Agreement]( [Privacy Policy]( © 2017 Al-Monitor. All Rights Reserved. If you no longer wish to receive these emails you may [unsubscribe or manage your preferences]( at any time. Al-Monitor · 1850 K St NW · Suite 1225 · Washington, DC 20006 · USA