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
Sisi performs balancing act in wake of Trump's Jerusalem move Following President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been careful to strike a delicate balance between allowing public condemnation of Trump's decision and not letting protests get out of hand. Palestine
Can Europe-Netanyahu gap be bridged? Visiting Paris and Brussels, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was confronted with objections to President Donald Trump's Jerusalem proclamation, but he also heard that Europe won't initiate a peace plan of its own. Palestine
Will Erdogan’s Jerusalem campaign succeed? Erdogan’s supporters are among those who fear his vociferous campaign against the United States and Israel will leave him disappointed and regionally isolated. Israel
Liberman intensifies campaign against Israeli Arabs Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has renewed his struggle against religious coercion and Israeli Arabs as part of a campaign to regain relevancy and strengthen his political standing. Israel
Northern Lebanon struggles to contain backlash against Syrians The murder of a young Lebanese woman by her family's Syrian employee has set off reactions of violence and intimidation that have kept Syrian children out of school. Lebanon
Jerusalem still trending topic on social media in Mideast Activists around the Arab world have used social media to protest US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Legacy: Gulf
Was Trump's Jerusalem declaration a honey trap? The presentation of a serious US blueprint for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on a permanent status arrangement is the only hope of saving the peace process. Palestine
Syrian Kurds press on with elections despite divisions Kurds supporting self-rule in Syria have two elections down and one to go in their march toward a federalist government, although not everyone in the territory is on board. Syria
Egyptian women get inheritance rights The Egyptian parliament passed a law guaranteeing women’s rights to inheritance, which was widely welcomed, especially by women in Upper Egypt. Egypt
Putin's visit to Egypt inspires hope for growth in Cairo Egypt could be seeing the revival of an otherwise lackluster alliance with Russia, a potential relationship that has much to offer both sides. Egypt
Sudan-born model exposes blight of racism in Egypt Sudan-born model Fatima Ali began speaking out four years ago against the daily racism she faces in Egypt and is compiling her writing on the subject into a book. Egypt
Award-winning Palestinian cartoonist takes dig at Trump Mohammad Sabaneeh, Palestine's controversial caricaturist, has published a book with his cartoons that has been collecting awards at home and abroad. Palestine
