Al-Monitor Daily Briefing: Inside the US-Iran prisoner swap, and what comes next

If you have trouble reading this email, [view it in a browser](. [logo]( [fb_icon]( [twitter_icon]( EDITOR'S PICKS Friday, December 20 | Daily Briefing [By: Laura Rozen on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019]( Washington 1 [Inside the US-Iran prisoner swap, and what comes next]( Can Washington and Tehran build on the success of the Swiss facilitated exchange? Israel 2 [What Israel's left could learn from the Arab Joint List]( The leadership of the left-wing democratic-Zionist camp should follow the example of the Arab Joint List's approach to the September elections if they want their parties to stand a chance in the March 2020 balloting. Turkey 3 [Turkey’s energy miscalculations have hefty cost]( More than a third of Turkey’s installed power capacity remains idle after an ill-calculated rush for energy that has had a hefty financial and environmental cost. Israel 4 [Israel's defense minister tries blocking arrangement with Hamas]( Defense Minister Naftali Bennett has taken a series of decisions that are meant not only to please his right-wing camp but also to block arrangement talks with Hamas. Lebanon 5 [Lebanon's protesters occupy central Beirut road in display of unity]( Since anti-government demonstrations broke out in Lebanon two months ago, protesters have resorted to blocking the main roads and highways across the country, including the Ring Bridge, which connects East and West Beirut and which divided the capital between Muslims and Christians during the civil war. North Africa 6 [Algeria: New president, old regime]( Protesters in Algeria rejected the presidential election and its victor, Abdelmadjid Tebboune. Turkey 7 [Will impeachment curtail Trump’s ability to shield Turkey from Congress?]( Turkish-American ties will likely remain strained in 2020, as Trump will be preoccupied with his reelection bid and have less time for Turkey. Israel 8 [Israel's justice minister, the darling of Likud members]( The more he stirs controversy, the more Likud members hail Justice Minister Amir Ohana. Iran 9 [Analyzing Iran’s new state budget]( Iran's state budget introduced no major structural changes, but it did improve transparency in some sectors. Egypt 10 [Egypt reinforces security ahead of Christmas season]( The Egyptian army and police are out in force across the country to secure churches and mosques that have been targeted with violence in the past. Iraq 11 [Targeting of US bases in Iraq a harsh Iranian message to Washington]( The rise of attacks against US military bases in Iraq in conjunction with the ongoing protests may be a warning message from Iran to Washington. Palestine 12 [How Malaysia is becoming Hamas' gateway to Asia]( Hamas will participate in Malaysia’s Islamic Summit, another indication of the growing ties between the two. Palestine 13 [Is Jerusalem a real obstacle or a convenient excuse?]( The Palestinian elections expected sometime in 2020 are still in doubt because of lack of clarity about the participation of Jerusalemites, but is this a real reason or an excuse? Egypt 14 [Egypt flexes its muscles in the Mediterranean after Libyan-Turkish agreement]( Egypt has conducted extensive military drills in the Mediterranean in a clear response to and a show of strength against the maritime agreement between the Libyan Government of National Accord and Turkey. Iran 15 [Iran condemns UN human rights resolution]( Iran has rejected a UN General Assembly resolution calling on it to stop abusing human rights, arguing that it is based on double standards. 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]( © 2019 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