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
Will Israel’s power cuts leave West Bank towns in the dark? Israel will start cutting power in the Palestinian towns of Bethlehem and Jericho due to electricity debts owed by the PA, which Palestinian officials say they "don't even dream of being able to pay back." Palestine
Tourism blooms in Israel's Arava desert After the fall of the ruble and a crisis in the pepper market, farmers in the Arava desert region are playing host to a fledgling tourism industry. Israel
Saudi Arabia tilts toward India Pakistan, after refusing to supply troops for Saudi Arabia's war against Yemen, finds the Gulf kingdom improving relations with Pakistani archenemy India. Saudi Arabia
Rafsanjani denies closing his social media accounts The office for Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani denied that he would be closing his social media accounts after criticism for a tweet. Iran
Syrian refugees boost Turkish economy, but for how long? Syrian refugees provided a much-needed boost to the slowing Turkish economy last year, but their contribution is not expected to last. Syria
Why Egypt abstained from voting on UN sex crime resolution Egypt believes a country could suffer far-reaching consequences under the UN resolution. Egypt
Hamas' call for more taxes gets Gazans fired up Gazans are questioning Hamas’ decision to impose additional taxes, as they are still plagued by poverty, unemployment and insecurity, with no plans for development on the horizon. Palestine
How religious movements gained the upper hand in Iraqi protests The movement led by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Iraq has managed to stifle the pro-reform secular movement protests. Iraq
Will Palestinian interaction with Israel be stopped? Criticism of the Committee for Interaction with Israeli Society has grown louder after a Palestinian delegation offered condolences for the death of an Israeli officer. Palestine
Will Jordan ban the Muslim Brotherhood? Tensions between Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood and the government flare up as Jordan’s government closes an MBG office and prevents the group from holding internal elections. Jordan
Will Israel limit the power of its own Supreme Court? The duel between Israel's Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Supreme Court President Miriam Naor over the gas outline ruling reflects the battle within Israeli society between radical forces and those protecting liberal values. Israel
Is Egypt the key to a Hamas, Fatah reconciliation? Although optimism prevails in Hamas and Fatah circles, many observers believe no reconciliation agreement can be expected without Egyptian sponsorship. Palestine
