The Takeaway: Would Hamas complicate US plans for reset with Palestinians? Also: the back story on the spat between Israel and Jordan; Gulf post-COVID economic trends; Turkey’s Kurds; Egypt and Somalia; and more! Originals
Egypt sentences activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Seif, who had been in pretrial detention since June, was convicted Wednesday of spreading false news and misusing social media. Egypt
Ukraine rejects Iran's final report on downed passenger plane The Iranian government said last year's shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was the result of a human error. Iran
Palestinians receive first batch of vaccines through COVAX More than 60,000 doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived in Ramallah on Wednesday. Palestine
Does Israel need France more than France needs Israel? Meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu preferred to focus on common battles rather than preserving the nuclear deal with Iran, the main mission for Le Drian's visit. Israel
Orthodox Israelis dance to tune of tradition A modern dance troupe composed of religious Jewish men is forcing the ultra-Orthodox community to confront questions of art and self-expression. Israel
Egypt seeks Arab League seat for controversial South Sudan For the first time since it seceded from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan has publicly declared its desire to join the Arab League. Egypt
Palestinian women celebrate legal win with eye toward greater victories Palestinian women welcome their government's move to change a handful of laws that are unfair to women, but the road to full equality is still very long. Palestine
Iraqi courts seeking out atheists for prosecution Atheism is increasing among young people in Iraq, which some are blaming on Islamic parties' mismanagement of the country. Iraq
Russia, Qatar explore partnership potential Qatar and Russia both stand to benefit in the Middle East from closer relations: Russia needs Arab street cred and Qatar needs all the friends it can get. Saudi Arabia
Congress threatens to cut UN funding for voting against Israel President Donald Trump and Congress are on the same page with a new law that would cut US funding for UN agencies deemed insufficiently supportive of Israel. Palestine
Pentagon: US refueling cuts civilian deaths in Yemen US Defense Secretary James Mattis defended the Pentagon’s refueling role in Yemen on Tuesday, saying the plan helps the Saudi-led coalition cut down on civilian casualties in the war-torn country. Saudi Arabia
Syrian Kurdish forces cede Tell Rifaat, claims Turkish press Ankara is already celebrating its victory over the Syrian Kurdish militia in Tell Rifaat today as dreams of a corridor under Kurdish control evaporate. Syria
Israelis, Palestinians both use demography as political tool The aspirations of the political right to annex West Bank lands have never been more obvious, as reflected in this week’s stormy Knesset committee debate about Jewish-Arab demography. Palestine
Israeli mayor finds thorns in 'village of roses' The head of a Jewish local council of Kfar Vradim in the Galilee halted the marketing of housing lots after half the bid winners were Arabs. Palestine
How Trump is prompting Iran to improve ties with its neighbors Iran’s long-touted motto of prioritizing good ties with immediate neighbors is finally taking shape in apparent response to US-led pressure. Iran
