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
Is Russia pulling Turkey away from the West? Western powers must balance Russian overtures to Turkey by reaching out to Ankara on its key concerns and being cautious with their criticism. Turkey
Who could replace Peres? The late President Shimon Peres is irreplaceable, but one of three people — his son Chemi Peres, former Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi or former Chief of Staff Benny Gantz — could go on from where Peres left off. Palestine
Iran emerges as a top issue in tight congressional races The pro-Iran deal J Street is spending $500,000 to unseat nuclear deal opponents. Israel
Egypt's judiciary lends support to state’s social media snooping An Egyptian judicial body has endorsed controversial plans by the Interior Ministry to monitor social media activity, arguing that it is necessary to take all measures to protect the community and the public interest Egypt
Turkey-Iraq squabbles threaten Mosul campaign The dispute between Turkey and Iraq over the presence of Turkish troops near Mosul is threatening to derail the impending offensive to free the city from the Islamic State. Iraq
German economy minister gets himself in hot water in Iran Germany's economy minister sparks controversy in Tehran over his demand that normalization of ties is impossible without Iran’s recognition of Israel. Iran
Turkish military faces new front as Health Ministry usurps medical system Turkey has transplanted its military medical system into civilian life in the Health Ministry. Turkey
Turks cry economic warfare as Moody's lowers credit rating Turkey's freshly downgraded credit rating is fueling paranoia, though economists point out that Turkey's economic decline was well established before the coup attempt. Turkey
Is Israel's Labor Party dead? Zionist Camp leader Isaac Herzog keeps denying reports by which he is negotiating with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the possibility of joining the government. Israel
Jordanians fuming over gas deal with Israel Jordanians have taken to the streets in opposition to a deal quietly reached between Jordan and Israel to supply the kingdom with energy, with critics saying the agreement will validate and increase reliance on Israel. Israel
Will new social security law protect Palestinian workers? President Mahmoud Abbas ratified the social security law, after a campaign led to amendments that guarantees the rights of employees, women and people with disabilities. Palestine
Is Hamas reconsidering its ties and policies? Hamas might be issuing a document soon detailing its stances toward various aspects of the Palestinian cause, as well as its ties with local parties and foreign countries. Palestine
