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
Turkey can't afford to take sides in Qatar crisis A rattled Ankara is trying to keep to the middle ground in the crisis around its ally Qatar, but its soft calls for dialogue are unlikely to have much impact. Qatar
Netanyahu feels on top of the world Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu multiplies his meetings with Likud activists, as a sign to his rivals in the party that no one can challenge his leadership. Israel
New 'rules of the game' for Israeli-Hamas standoff The expulsion from Qatar of Hamas leaders and the movement's reconciliation with Iran has potentially changed the "rules of the game" between Israel and Hamas. Qatar
Russian Subbotniks dream of coming to Israel After joining the Jewish people two centuries ago, the Subbotnik community feels that Israel should recognize them as Jews and enable them to immigrate. Countries
Jordan pins hopes on US-Russian accord on southern Syria Amid talks about secret trilateral meetings being held in Amman between Jordan, the United States and Russia to establish a de-escalation zone in southern Syria, Jordan would reject the presence of Islamic State militants on its northern borders, or fighters supported by Iran. Jordan
Online database gives uncensored look into Lebanon's censorship A Lebanese NGO has launched a virtual library to track the history of banned artistic works and products in Lebanon, shedding light on evolving limits of freedom of expression in the country. Lebanon
What's the real goal of Tunisia’s campaign against corruption? In a supposed anti-corruption move, the Tunisian government arrested eight businessmen, including one charged with treason and endangering the country's safety. Tunisia
Women-only cafe opens in Upper Egypt The instantly popular Pink Cafe for women meets a need in Upper Egypt, a conservative place where women have few options for socializations and entertainment. Egypt
Blocking embassy move to Jerusalem Trump's wisest decision yet By signing the waiver against moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, President Donald Trump displayed responsibility and sound judgment. Palestine
The curious timing of the Qatar crisis The latest Middle East crisis, the rift between Qatar and its Gulf Cooperation Council partners, has come at a sensitive time for the Gulf states. Legacy: Gulf
Applying the ‘Bosnian model’ to Syria’s crisis Could the United States and Russia learn from the Dayton Agreement to reach a lasting peace deal in Syria? Jordan
Kirkuk’s oil to play big role in Kurdish independence The post-Islamic State era will be crucial for Kirkuk, as conflicts over the governorate's territory and oil will determine the future of relations between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government. Iraq
