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 PA on verge of collapse? There has been speculation that Israel is preparing to possibly dissolve the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank against the backdrop of the violent attacks against Israeli soldiers. Palestine
Will changes to US Visa Waiver Program torpedo Iran deal implementation? If signed into law, proposed changes to the Visa Waiver Program will likely antagonize US allies and trade partners, as well as key players vested in the implementation of the JCPOA. Iran
East Jerusalem theater fights to keep doors open The Palestinian theater El-Hakawati, the only cultural institution of its kind operating in East Jerusalem, is drowning in debt and faces closure yet another time. Palestine
Former prisoners opening Palestinians' eyes onto Israel Palestinians who learned Hebrew while in Israeli prisons have established research and language centers in Gaza for Palestinians to learn Hebrew and about Israeli affairs. Palestine
How one Egyptian plans to rev up tourism Software engineer Ali Abdo decided to use his hobby to help his homeland, launching an initiative to encourage people to visit Egypt by riding his motorcycle across the country and taking pictures of touristic sites. Egypt
4 ways Russia could retaliate against Turkey Russia is mulling its limited options for dealing with Turkey without hurting itself in the process. Turkey
Will Iran support the intifada? After relations took a hit from the Syrian civil war, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has reached out to Iran for help. Palestine
More veils lift as topic loses political punch in Iran In Iran, efforts to depoliticize the veil and criticism of the theological justifications for its coerced use are paving the ground for change. Iran
Gazans explore Sufism Sufism is found in several Gaza cities, but some claim the sect is not Muslim. Palestine
The Grinch who stole Palestinian Christmas In light of the ongoing intifada, the municipality and Council of Churches of Ramallah decided to show solidarity by limiting manifestations of joy during the Christmas holiday season. Palestine
Is Fatah planning the intifada? Elements within the Fatah leadership warn that they might take the lead of the violent intifada "to capture international attention" and "to influence Israeli public opinion by demonstrating that occupation has its price." Palestine
Are Turkey and Iran reviving a 16th century conflict? Turkey's Iraq policy can be traced back to its rivalry with Iran in Mesopotamia centuries ago. Iraq
