Al-Monitor Daily Briefing: The false logic of a China-US choice in the Middle East

If you have trouble reading this email, [view it in a browser](. [logo]( [fb_icon]( [twitter_icon]( EDITOR'S PICKS Tuesday, June 30 | Daily Briefing [By: Karen Young on Tuesday, Jun. 30, 2020]( Gulf 1 [The false logic of a China-US choice in the Middle East]( Framing the discussion of China's role in the Middle East as a zero-sum game of choosing either US or Chinese patronage has only increased Beijing's clout in the region. Israel 2 [Trapped by Netanyahu, Gantz loses popularity]( Supporters of Blue and White leader Benny Gantz have not forgiven him for joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and their disappointment could mean the end of his political career. Gulf 3 [Oman weighs costs of bailout from Gulf neighbors]( Gulf countries might step up to keep Oman’s public finances afloat, but experts warn strings may be attached. Turkey 4 [Renaissance painting of Ottoman sultan divides Turkish government, opposition]( Mehmed the Conqueror is a popular figure among Turks, but the same cannot be said of his 15th century painting. Washington 5 [Intel: Democrats try to stymie Trump’s 'secure the oil' mission in Syria]( Democrats are turning up the heat on President Donald Trump’s “secure the oil” mission in northeast Syria. Turkey 6 [Turks lose trust in Russia, warm to US]( The Turkish public’s trust in Russia has declined in favor of the United States due to the rising conflicts between Ankara and Moscow over the Libyan and Syrian civil wars, according to a survey. Israel 7 [Despite ultra-Orthodox objection, Israeli government advances cannabis laws]( The cannabis laws now being promoted at the Knesset are nothing short of a revolution, which would not have been possible under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s previous right-wing, ultra-Orthodox governments. Egypt 8 [Egyptian expats in Libya fall victim to political differences]( Egyptian workers in Libya have been repatriated after being detained and subjected to torture in Libya, which caused a national outcry in the streets and at the political level. Washington 9 [Intel: Trump’s Iran coordinator discusses arms embargo extension with UAE]( Brian Hook, the US policy coordinator for Iran, visited the United Arab Emirates this weekend as part of a Middle East tour intended to discuss Washington’s efforts to extend the conventional arms embargo on Tehran, which expires in October. Iran 10 [Iran’s conservative parliament moves to ban Instagram]( Iran’s newly inaugurated hard-line parliament is pushing for a new ban on the country’s already restricted social media, a campaign that critics view as a war on the free flow of information. Gulf 11 [Intel: Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted Iranian weapons bound for Yemen]( The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a boat carrying light weapons of Iranian origin bound for war-wracked Yemen, Saudi and US officials said today. 12 [Lebanese banks raise exchange rate to dollars as crisis worsens]( A member of the government's IMF negotiations team also resigned in opposition to the government's handling of the worst financial crisis in decades. 13 [Negative virus test required to enter UAE]( As the oil-rich Gulf country announced more than 400 new cases of the virus, it rolled out new movement restrictions in the capital. Gulf 14 [Emirates Airlines to resume flights to Cairo, Tunis]( The Dubai-based airline is continuing to rebuild its flight network after resuming international passenger services in May. 15 [Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan discuss Nile River dam at UN Security Council]( Ethiopia said the Security Council is not an appropriate place to discuss the dispute, while Egypt said filling the dam threatens its "survival." Israel 16 [Calls to prayer rile some residents of mixed Israeli town]( Some residents of Lod complain that the ubiquitous Muslim calls to prayer are a nuisance, though others say the multicultural city will never silence them. 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]( © 2020 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