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
Hezbollah, Iran, Hamas seek new strategy for resistance Hamas is moving closer to Iran and Hezbollah, as the "axis of resistance" shifts priorities now that the Syrian war is winding down. Palestine
Egypt already may need to revisit women's inheritance law The recently passed amendment to Egypt's Constitution regarding women's inheritance rights was hailed as a long-awaited breakthrough, but the topic might need additional legislation to ensure full equality for women, including Copts. Egypt
Israelis, Palestinians need European mediation The Jerusalem proclamation by US President Donald Trump put an end to the American role as honest broker between Israel and the Palestinians. Saudi Arabia
PA looks for replacement to US as Mideast peace process sponsor Following the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the Palestinian Authority has endeavored to find a new sponsor for the peace process, yet this could be complicated by lack of options and threats to existing financial aid agreements. Palestine
Is PA living up to Palestinians' expectations over Jerusalem? The Palestinian leadership seems to be taking slow actions vis-a-vis Washington to counter US President Donald Trump's decision on Jerusalem. Palestine
Jordan pays homage to Palestinian 'Lady Photographer' with exhibit In a neighborhood in Amman, a photography exhibition honors Karimeh Abbud, also known as the "Lady Photographer," who stood apart from her male contemporaries with her unique access to Palestinian women in their homes. Palestine
Trump national security strategy doubles down on Iran The US president’s first national security strategy outlines the White House’s growing campaign to turn the screws on Iran. United States
Will Iran, Russia find solution to Caspian dilemma? Russian talk of progress aside, Iran and other Caspian Sea states appear locked in a dispute over the world’s largest inland lake. Russia
Turkish Armed Forces seeks female fighters The Turkish military is set to recruit 8,000 women in an effort to bolster its image and defang Kurdish militias' association with female empowerment. Turkey
Iran calls Haley's missile claim 'ridiculous' Iranian officials view UN Ambassador Nikki Haley’s speech accusing Tehran of sending missiles to the Houthis in Yemen as politically motivated. Saudi Arabia
Turkey plans short turnaround on long-range missiles in 2018 Regional conflicts have shown the importance of deep-strike capability with cruise missiles, and Turkey is now working hard to acquire it. Syria
Pharmaceutical giant's layoffs generate rage in Israel Instead of making populistic statements and pretending to save Teva workers from layoff, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must focus on major changes that help the workers who are about to lose their jobs. Israel
