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 recent calls for protests failed to materialize in Egypt Calls for mass protests on Nov. 11 failed to bring Egyptians out into the streets, not only due to an increased police presence but also to a shifting sense among the populace about how to best enact change. Egypt
State of emergency shuts down Turkey's NGOs Since the failed July 15 coup attempt, some 1,500 nongovernmental organizations have been banned. Turkey
AKP bill to pardon child rapists who marry their victims Turks are furious over a proposed law that would commute the sentences of men who have sex with minors if they end up marrying the girls, but Turkey’s ruling party has the simple majority it needs to push the law, which it claims is intended to address legal issues surrounding child marriage, through parliament. Turkey
Turkey’s emergency rule fuels brain drain Turkey is losing precious human capital, as many educated Turks are migrating to the West, scared off by ferocious crackdowns since the July coup attempt. Turkey
Millions of Iranians enter Iraq for Shiite ritual Millions of Iranian pilgrims flock to Iraq to join the marking of Arbaeen, the anniversary of the 40th day of mourning after the killing of the third Shiite Imam, Hussein bin Ali. Iraq
Help wanted: Turkey advertises for special forces Running short of personnel because of massive purges, Turkey's armed forces are trying to fill the void using civilians. Turkey
Trump’s policies could jostle Jordan's position in Mideast While Jordan's strategic relationship with the United States will likely remain strong under surprise presidential victor Donald Trump, the unpredictable leader's positions on the Muslim Brotherhood, Jerusalem and the West Bank settlements are cause for concern. Jordan
Who will take charge in Raqqa after it's freed from IS? The Syrian Democratic Forces are making progress in northern Raqqa, cutting the supply lines of the Islamic State. Syria
Israeli 3G SIM cards all the rage in Gaza SIM cards allowing 3G service on Israeli telecommunications networks are being smuggled into Gaza and snapped up quickly by young Palestinians. Palestine
Gaza residents stand firm in opposition to new cement factory A project of Sanad Construction Industries to build a cement factory in the central West Bank was met with the opposition of local residents because of the potential environmental damage the area would suffer. Palestine
How Israel is bypassing the PA Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Gen. Yoav Mordechai launched a Facebook page that seems to assist the Palestinians with their daily struggles, but some Palestinians have accused it of having other goals. Palestine
Has Israel's finance minister lost his fans? Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon's supporters are disappointed, as they believed he would fight for the rule of law and the new public broadcasting corporation but now see him abandoning political battles that might mark him as a leftist, guided primarily by political survival. Israel
