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
Some Egyptians wary of normalizing relations with Israel Egyptian leaders say they are playing an important role in reviving the Palestinian issue by mediating with Israel, but some sources say Egyptians might actually be losing their sympathy for Palestinians and don't want to normalize relations with Israel. Palestine
Should Gulen face trial for Turkish coup attempt? With Erdogan blaming Pennsylvania-based cleric Fethullah Gulen for masterminding the recent coup attempt, there have been increasing calls for his extradition from the US to Turkey. Turkey
One year after nuclear deal, Iran receives S-300 missiles Iran is now receiving the missile parts of the S-300 surface-to-air missile defense system from Russia. Russia
Erdogan’s bossy anti-smoking drive crosses borders Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's heavy-handed approach to cigarettes, aimed to project a fatherly image in Turkey, has now spread to his interactions with foreign officials. Turkey
The cultural war brewing inside the IDF Statements by leading Zionist-Orthodox rabbis against gays and in support of the exclusion of women from the army reflect the growing war of culture waged in Israel, between liberals and those who aspire for a more Jewish-religious state. Israel
'No military solution' say Israeli, Palestinian ex-fighters The Israeli and Palestinian former fighters of Combatants for Peace are using their personal stories to advocate a nonviolent, humanitarian approach to ending the Israeli occupation in the Palestinian territories. Palestine
The real reason the EU can't stop human smuggling from Libya The EU’s Operation Sophia has so far failed to stop the smuggling of people from Africa to Europe, as the problem lies in Libya's tenuous government. Libya
Why Iran needs to fight Saudi Arabia to forge peace Despite all the challenges it poses for Iran, Saudi Arabia’s regional policy and strategic behavior is still not perceived as a threat in Tehran — but could failing to respond be a mistake? Saudi Arabia
Why nude portrait of an Israeli minister was censored The president of the Israeli Design College has censored a portrait by a student that depicts Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked nude. Israel
BDS movement targets Palestinian investors in West Bank mall Pro-Palestinian activists are working with a consumer advocacy group to urge Palestinian investors to back out of a new shopping mall in northern Jerusalem, warning that not only will the project harm the Palestinian economy, the investors themselves could face legal action. Palestine
Sumerian city of Lagash slowly emerging from desert sands Archaeologists have resumed excavations at the site of the ancient city of Lagash in Iraq, but so have smugglers. Iraq
Will Egypt impose taxes on Facebook ads? Egypt's parliament is considering a bill to levy taxes on social media ads, with some questioning if such a measure could even be applied. Egypt
