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
'Working Journalists Day' adds insult to injury for Turkish press This year's "Working Journalists Day" is a bleak holiday indeed in Turkey, the biggest jailer of journalists in the world. Turkey
Will Turkey, Iraq open new chapter in ties? Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim’s visit to Iraq last week has signaled a willingness to improve relations between the two countries after a period of intense animosity. Iraq
Two sides of Syria: Damascus and Aleppo While Aleppo lies in ruins, life in wartime Damascus remains vibrant, but not untouched. Lebanon
Israeli court’s conviction temporarily fends off ICC The manslaughter conviction of an Israeli soldier for killing a wounded Palestinian youth has fended off an investigation of that particular crime by the International Criminal Court, but it does not mean Israel is in the clear on allegations of war crimes for other deaths. Palestine
Why Saudi Arabia and Egypt are competing for influence in Africa Some observers fear Saudi and Egyptian differences could spread Middle Eastern conflicts to Africa. Saudi Arabia
Assyrian family shares tale of capture, displacement A family of Assyrians, one of Syria’s Christian sects, tells Al-Monitor their story of surviving imprisonment by the Islamic State only to lose their son this year to the fighting in Raqqa. Syria
Is PA on road to reconciliation with Egypt? Relations between the Palestinian Authority and Egypt have been strained lately, but some are denying the seriousness of this fallout. Palestine
Palestinians ponder possible US Embassy move to Jerusalem Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has written a letter to US President-elect Donald Trump in an attempt to convince him not to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Palestine
Why Netanyahu rushed to link Jerusalem attack to IS Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to blame the Islamic State for the terror attack in Jerusalem, ignoring that Palestinian assailants are motivated first and foremost by the Israeli occupation. Palestine
Journalists' Syndicate head: Egyptian press facing crisis with the state In an interview with Al-Monitor, head of the Journalists' Syndicate Yahya Qalash speaks of the syndicate’s problem with the state, the new media law and the media regulators law. Egypt
Westward offensive starts as Iraq's Ramadi catches breath With the Mosul operation still going on and Anbar's liberated area still unstable, the Iraqi forces have launched an assault on the last Islamic State stronghold in Anbar province. Iraq
Will Turkey leave NATO? Observers wonder whether an offer of full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization would lure Turkey away from NATO and the country's "suffering" at the hands of the European Union. Turkey
