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 it's so difficult to decipher the Gulenist network Foreign media continues to be confused about the Gulen movement because of their disregard of its covert networks. Turkey
Young Likud minister bucks party to defend press freedom The Likud's Gila Gamliel, once a right-wing hard-liner, has now become one of the principal defenders of the freedom of the press and broadcasting within the Netanyahu government. Israel
US elections won’t stop Obama from criticizing Bibi The Obama administration keeps condemning settlement construction even during the election campaign period, thus demonstrating that criticizing the policy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shouldn't block the road to the White House. Palestine
Were Saudis behind Abbas-MEK meeting? A meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Mujahedeen-e-Khalq leader Maryam Rajavi in Paris has sparked both Iranian and Palestinian suspicion about Saudi Arabia's ties to the Palestinian Authority. Saudi Arabia
Why Turkey and Egypt won’t reconcile anytime soon Following the failed coup attemp in Turkey, Egyptian officials have launched diplomatic assaults against the Turkish leadership, fearing that Egypt's own Islamists could re-emerge. Egypt
Is Abbas overstepping his authority with decision to form new court? The Palestinian government is working on establishing a High Criminal Court and amending the penal code enforced in the West Bank, in a move that many view as an encroachment of the legislative authority by the executive branch. Palestine
Abadi moves to demilitarize Iraq's cities Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has instructed the Interior Ministry to take measures to remove signs of militarization from Iraqi cities. Iraq
Diaspora Palestinians called to invest in homeland With the Palestinian economy in crisis, Palestinian leaders and businessmen are coordinating to maximize external support from the Palestinian diaspora. Palestine
Why critically acclaimed Egyptian film faces backlash at home Egyptian director Mohamed Diab's "Clash" won accolades at Cannes this year, but the movie is now facing criticism after its premiere in Egypt. Egypt
Why Iran’s property market is unlikely to boom anytime soon The Iranian real estate market signals that a recovery is on the way, after an almost three-year-long recession — but there is still debate about the likelihood of a property boom. Iran
New taxes have Egyptian smokers fuming As part of a new VAT bill aimed at reforming the country’s fiscal policy, the Egyptian government hikes up taxes on cigarettes and tobacco for the third year in a row, raising concern among smokers of limited income who now must choose between paying more or quitting. Egypt
