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
How Bibi is trying to punish Arab MKs for skipping Peres’ funeral The Arab Joint List rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to boycott the list’s members who were absent from former President Shimon Peres’ funeral, but how long can Israel’s Arab population withstand these Israeli pressures? Palestine
Gaza ministry incurs anger by ending import monopoly on commodities Gaza's Ministry of National Economy announced the cancellation of import monopolies on some commodities, but it is unclear whether the decision will decrease the price of goods. Palestine
How these Syrian doctors are helping refugees in Lebanon Amid limited resources, Syrian doctors who fled their country resume their work in Lebanon to provide the refugee population with the necessary medical treatment. Lebanon
Why Israel is pouring cash into this settlement university Israel's academics are outraged that Ariel College-turned-University is receiving more funding than any other university in Israel, most of which are far more reputable institutions. Israel
Why Gazan women are turning to cactus picking Women in the Gaza Strip are harvesting cactus fruit as seasonal jobs to either save for college or help their families in light of the difficult economic conditions. Palestine
Why did Saudi Arabia halt its aid to Palestinian Authority? The Palestinian government announced recently that Saudi Arabia has not been paying its monthly aid to the Palestinian Authority since April, which will negatively affect the economy. Legacy: Gulf
Kirkuk officials deny displacing Arabs in anti-IS operation Kirkuk province officials have denied a UN report that internally displaced Sunni Iraqis in the city of Kirkuk have been expelled after the recent attack by the Islamic State, though the governor warns, "They cannot stay here forever." Iraq
Will Obama push for UN settlement-freeze resolution? US President Barack Obama wants to leave a practical legacy to his successor in the form of a Security Council resolution rejecting West Bank settlements, yet this might have to wait if Hilary Clinton wins the presidential elections. Palestine
Jordan seeks US government's help in fight against terror finance lawsuit The Jordanian Embassy has hired Hogan Lovells to lobby the US government over a billion-dollar lawsuit against Jordan’s biggest bank. Jordan
Turkey's new 'Erdogan Doctrine' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's aggressive foreign and security policies are coalescing into a clear doctrine of pre-emptive action that he seems to be using both to drum up domestic support and for leverage in negotiations with the West. Turkey
Turkey's post-coup crackdown reaches media giants The few remaining opposition newspapers still able to report on Turkey's economic floundering are losing their own foreign investors in a dramatic demonstration of the trend the ruling Turkish party is trying to suppress. Turkey
Anti-US talk dominates Iranian media on anniversary of hostage crisis Across Iran, solemn speeches on the anniversary of the 1979 US Embassy takeover praised Tehran's defiance and expressed reservations about engaging with Washington. United States
