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
Why Netanyahu loses no sleep over European uproar Though Israeli leftists may welcome eight European countries' demand that Israel repay them for destroyed and confiscated aid for Palestinians, they may be playing right into the prime minister's hands. Palestine
Islamic State sees dollar signs in Egypt As the Islamic State and its affiliates are forced out of Syria and Iraq, their recent bank robbery in North Sinai province indicates they might be turning to targets in Egypt to refill their coffers. Egypt
Why was the West Bank excluded from Palestinian reconciliation? It seems that the recent reconciliation agreement that aims to end the division between Hamas and Fatah has ignored reforms and changes in the West Bank, focusing more on the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Can animated film sensitize Israelis to suffering in Gaza? A human rights organization has produced a short animated film about a girl in a candy factory to explain the conditions in Gaza caused by the blockade. Palestine
Egyptian women speak out amid global focus on sexual harassment While social media campaigns are giving voice to many hitherto voiceless women in Egypt, much remains to be done about sexual harassment in the country. Egypt
Jailed Turkish philanthropist ravaged in pro-AKP media Not much is known about the detention of prominent Turkish businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala, and the ruling party and its loyalists seem to be building a slander campaign against him in the media. Turkey
Turkey sees 'village uprising' as rural areas hit hard by liberal economic policies In rural Turkey, farmers and livestock producers are fighting back against the government's new economic policies. Turkey
Anti-US rhetoric helps Erdogan build smokescreens Years of anti-American propaganda help the Turkish president divert blame and discredit damaging news from the West — for example, anything incriminating that might emerge from high-profile cases in the United States involving Iran sanctions. Turkey
Did Khamenei block Rouhani’s science minister? Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has finally introduced two names for the Science Ministry and Energy Ministry positions, although the battles appear to be far from over. Iran
How Trump has propped up Rouhani Rather than undermining Iran's government, Donald Trump's hostile rhetoric may be strengthening President Hassan Rouhani and uniting Iranians around his administration. Iran
Analysts weigh prospects of Egypt-Israel military exercises Though some analysts believe joint Egyptian-Israeli military exercises won't actually take place given the Egyptian public's opposition to the idea, some Arab and Gulf countries seem to be advancing on a path toward normalization with Israel. Egypt
Israel, US coordinated on settlement construction Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to be able to walk between the raindrops by approving hundreds of new housing units in the West Bank without upsetting the Americans. Palestine
