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 one sultan's harem is another's school Emine Erdogan's praise of the Ottoman harem as a school has disturbed and baffled Turks. Turkey
After seizing Zaman newspaper, what's next for Turkey? Not just a few newspapers like Zaman, but the entire Turkish media is under threat by the current regime in Turkey. Turkey
How far will the Saudis go against Hezbollah? With Saudi Arabia labeling Hezbollah a terrorist organization, a decision that was endorsed by the GCC, the kingdom hopes to legally pursue the Lebanese movement in international forums. Legacy: Gulf
Will Congress pick Qatar over Israel? To the chagrin of Israel, lawmakers of both parties want the Obama administration to go through with jet sales to Gulf countries. Legacy: Gulf
UN report: Iran executes nearly 1,000 people in 2015 Human rights activists say the nuclear deal and recent elections open a “window of opportunity” to pressure the Islamic Republic to improve its record on human rights. Iran
Will Palestinians declare independence in June 2017? After 50 years of occupation, Palestinians intend to declare the establishment of an independent state in June 2017. Palestine
Iranian banks told to get rid of excess properties Under severe economic pressure, despite the lifting of sanctions, the Central Bank of Iran is moving to get commercial banks to sell their excess properties. Iran
Have Israeli-Arab parties sided with Hezbollah? Israeli Arab parties Balad and Hadash condemned the decision by the GCC to label Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, which leaves many Israelis puzzled by this decision. Israel
Khamenei laments 'loss' of hard-line Assembly of Experts members At the last meeting of Iran’s outgoing Assembly of Experts, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed regret for the departure of two hard-liners and defended the Guardian Council's disqualification of several Reformist candidates. Iran
Will there be peace in Yemen? Signs point to Saudi Arabia wanting out of its war in Yemen as Oman-mediated talks open with the Shiite Houthi rebels. Saudi Arabia
Turkish military struggles to find new recruits The Turkish Armed Forces has to overcome serious structural problems, including inadequate recruitment, before switching from a conscription-based military to a fully professional force. Turkey
How a new website is helping Lebanese women avoid sexual harassment Activists in Lebanon have launched a new website to help women confronted by sexual harassment and bring discussion of it into the public sphere. Lebanon
