A look back at some of the year’s biggest stories, Netanyahu returns as Israeli PM, and Erdogan’s theory on why Ronaldo didn’t play well at the World Cup. Here’s your round-up, written by Abubakr Al-Shamahi, Al Jazeera Digital’s Middle East and North Africa editor.
In Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu is back as prime minister, while in the occupied West Bank Israeli forces have made 2022 the deadliest year for Palestinians since 2006 — a grim milestone that included the shooting death of Al Jazeera’s widely respected correspondent, Shireen Abu Akleh. In Iran, protesters have staged more than three months of demonstrations, refusing to back down after a 22-year-old woman died while in police custody — a sign of just how deep the public dissatisfaction with the current ruling system runs. In Lebanon, the economy tanked, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to climb out of the hole it’s in anytime soon. In Iraq, there’s calm after a tumultuous year packed with protests and violence, but it’s been replaced by a sense of dread that this thing isn’t over yet. And in Sudan, there are still dissenters after the military reached deals with its political and tribal opponents.
