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 Obama should move to shore up Iran nuclear deal While efforts have been made to facilitate Iran’s reconnection with the international banking system, much remains to be done. Iran
Will Israeli-Turkish relations leave Hamas in the cold? It remains unclear how Hamas-Turkish ties will be affected by the move by Turkey and Israel toward a resumption of full diplomatic relations. Israel
Youth unemployment poses latest danger to Turkey Young Turks, especially in Turkey's volatile southeast, are facing an increasingly poor employment outlook, leaving them more susceptible to crime and violence. Turkey
Fatah congress to usher in new generation of Palestinian leaders The seventh Fatah congress, to be held Nov. 29 in Ramallah, is expected to bring a younger face to the Palestinian leadership. Palestine
Despite security gains, IS still seeking foothold in Tunisia The discovery of warehouses filled with heavy weapons in Tunisia's border area reveal that the Islamic State and its affiliates are still active despite the security crackdown on them. Algeria
Liberman takes seat at switchboard between US administration, Israel Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman is already busy coordinating with the new US administration on settlement expansion policies in an attempt to build a pragmatic and responsible image for himself, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu watches from a safe distance. Palestine
Analysis Israel, Palestinians prepare for Trump era Israelis and Palestinians are now redrawing the lines for a new diplomatic battle in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s election. By Uri Savir
After Mosul battle, is Syria next for PMU? As the liberation of Mosul nears, the Popular Mobilization Units announced that they have received an invitation from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to fight in Syria. Iraq
Why an Israeli general is Facebook chatting with Palestinians The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Gen. Yoav Mordechai conducted a first-of-its-kind live chat session on Facebook with Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Is Turkey ready for global manhunt for Fethullah Gulen? The Turkish government and its media outlets hope the new US administration will hand over the suspected mastermind of the failed coup, but what if Fethullah Gulen decides to play an international cat-and-mouse game with Turkey? Turkey
Is Erdogan’s rise unstoppable? A correlation exists between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s authoritarian shift and the popular support he receives, making for a paradox that is fast dragging Turkey toward a paternalistic rule. Turkey
Trump talks Middle East plans US President-elect Donald Trump, in a meeting with The New York Times on Nov. 22, discussed many critical matters in the region, including ending the Syrian war and forging Israeli-Palestinian peace. Syria
