Al-Monitor Daily Briefing: Israel in no hurry to enter Saudi-Lebanese fray

[logo]( [fb_icon]( [twitter_icon]( EDITOR'S PICKS Thursday, November 16 | Daily Briefing [By: Ben Caspit on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017]( Israel 1 [Israel in no hurry to enter Saudi-Lebanese fray]( Israel is not at all interested in opening a front against Hezbollah just to please Saudi Arabia. Russia / Mideast 2 [Have Russia, Turkey reached Syrian simpatico yet?]( Russia and Turkey have attained an "unprecedented" level of cooperation in many areas, some observers say, though the Kurds in Syria may remain a sticking point. Palestine 3 [Ride-sharing app forced off road in West Bank]( Only five months after the launch of the Dubai-based ride-sharing app Careem in the West Bank, the company announced that the Palestinian Authority had halted its services. Turkey 4 [Iran, Turkey have own plans for Iraq's strategic Sinjar]( The Islamic State has been largely driven out of Iraq, but Turkey and Iran both remain intensely interested in certain areas. Egypt 5 [Egypt’s Copts decry recent spate of church closings]( Egypt's Coptic Christians say they are under attack by both extremists and the Egyptian government. 6 [House advances diluted bill cutting Palestinian aid]( Original supporters of the Taylor Force Act say pushback from Democrats and the Trump administration has watered down their legislation. Israel 7 [Will Islamic Jihad defy Hamas to attack Israel?]( Palestinian Islamic Jihad says it is planning to avenge the deaths of members killed in a tunnel destroyed by Israel. Palestine 8 [Armenian ceramics artist keeps ancient craft alive in Jerusalem]( The ancient art of ceramics and tile making lives on in Jerusalem, where the artistic tradition has become part of the treasured local heritage. Iran 9 [Iranian authorities scramble to deal with quake aftermath]( Al-Monitor travels to the towns of western Iran, where a 7.3 magnitude earthquake has left at least 452 dead and many more homeless. Gulf 10 [Iran, Turkey divide Saudi-led bloc]( Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi is opposed to plans by the other members of the Anti-Terror Quartet to confront Iran and Hezbollah in the Levant, to maintain Lebanon's relatively stable position. 11 [Kuwait moving up again on Turkey's BFF list]( Kuwait and Turkey are increasing their military and economic ties as Kuwait looks for relationships beyond the troubled Gulf Cooperation Council and Ankara stands to benefit from the oil-rich country's growing military and infrastructure budgets. Palestine 12 [Palestine to get its own central bank]( The Palestinian Monetary Authority has announced that it will open the Palestinian Central Bank after fulfilling all necessary requirements, but questions remain about if and when a national currency will be issued. Turkey 13 [Putin-Trump statement on Syria contradicts Erdogan’s calculations]( A joint statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump that there is no military solution in Syria infuriated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 14 [Iran: Hariri sought to mediate between Tehran, Riyadh]( Iran’s president strongly criticized Saudi Arabia over its reported role in the Lebanese prime minister’s resignation. Egypt 15 [Sisi's opponents prepare for tough run in Egypt's presidential election]( With an eye on Egypt's presidential elections in March 2018, opposition candidates are preparing to potentially run against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and for any suppression they may face from the regime. 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