✩ Daily News Egypt - Editorial: The Illusive Metal Barrier | On Egypt's denial that a wall is being built.

✩ BBC News - Egypt starts building steel wall on Gaza Strip border | Video report has some more details, but the whole thing is rather hazy.

✩ Israel National Survey | Survery of Israeli attitudes on various topics.

✩ Libya still jailing dissenters: Human Rights Watch | New HRW report.

✩ 'Egypt is one of the freest states in the entire Arab world' - The Irish Times - Sat, Dec 12, 2009 | Ismail Serageldin engages in apologia.

✩ Palestinian leader speaks from prison - CNN.com | Interview with Marwan Barghouti.

✩ Swiss Man Builds Minaret to Protest Ban - WaryaTV | Good for him.

✩ Israel court: Deported Palestinian student can't return - CNN.com | Everyday misery from Gaza blockade.

✩ ENVIRONMENT: Darkness at Noon Clouds Cairo Skies - IPS ipsnews.net | On the black cloud - which I thought was not as bad this year.

✩ The Language of Food | Ceviche and Fish & Chips | Fascinating on the Persian and Arab origin of escabeche, ceviche, and fish and chips.

✩ The Language of Food | Ceviche and Fish & Chips | Fascinating on the Persian and Arab origin of escabeche, ceviche, and fish and chips.

✩ ‘Sultan wants children to be God-fearing’ | The ridiculousness of the al-Sauds.

✩ No real "freeze" on settlement: Israeli minister - Yahoo! News | No kidding: "JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The population of Jewish settlements in the West Bank could grow by 10,000 in the coming year despite a declared "freeze" on Israeli building in the occupied territory, an Israeli Cabinet minister has said."

✩ On Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Lobby: A response to Peter Beinart | Walt on Obama's Afphan policy and the lobby.

✩ Middle East Report 253 contents: Apartheid and Beyond | New issue.