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
Pentagon chief presses for end to Yemen war in meeting with Saudi prince US Defense Secretary James Mattis called on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to “accelerate” a peaceful end to the war in Yemen even as Mattis lobbies Congress not to terminate US support for Riyadh’s air campaign against the Houthis. Saudi Arabia
US spending bill drops Turkey sanctions A draft spending bill has dropped proposed Turkey sanctions meant to target Turkey's detention of Americans and US consulate staff amid US efforts to ease tensions with Ankara. Turkey
Iran's supreme leader criticized for saying there is ‘free speech’ in his country Iranians have criticized Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for claiming that there is free speech in Iran. Iran
Iranian Reformists anxious as Rouhani takes turn to the right Iranian Reformists worry that the Rouhani administration will officially form a coalition with Ali Larijani, the moderate conservative parliament speaker. Iran
Istanbul cabbies rage against Uber The people of Istanbul quickly embraced Uber's clean, safe cars and polite service, and thousands of taxi drivers are starting to react with violence. Turkey
Jordan, Israel hedge their bets in southwest Syria Southwest Syria could become the next battleground in Syria's multiple regional wars amid a possible collapse in the US-Russian cease-fire agreement. Israel
Israel's acknowledgment of Syria nuclear strike sparks security debate The story behind Israel's 2007 attack on Syria's nuclear reactor challenges the assumption that Israeli generals are more competent than Israeli politicians at making security decisions. Israel
Palestinian budget excludes Gaza, unless it toes the line Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ratified the 2018 public budget — which includes a controversial, quid pro quo clause regarding funds for the Gaza Strip — without obtaining the proper approval, raising questions about the Palestinian Authority’s desire to achieve reconciliation. Palestine
Disrespect for judicial rulings erodes Israeli democracy By ignoring Supreme Court rulings that are incompatible with their populist messages, Israeli politicians not only offend the rule of law, they undermine the democratic foundations of the state. Palestine
Syrian opposition forms force to hold its army accountable There's a new sheriff in town, so to speak, now that the Syrian Interim Government has established a military police unit in northern Aleppo. Syria
Landowners waiting for next step in Jordan-Israel gas pipeline Members of the Jordanian Bar Association are readying lawsuits to challenge land expropriations for the construction of a pipeline for natural gas from Israel's Leviathan field. Israel
Stigma helps HIV spread in silence in Egypt HIV is spreading at an alarming rate in Egypt, where those at risk fear the social stigma almost as much as the health issues that come with it. Egypt
