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 military intervene in the West Bank? Palestinians question the reasoning behind calls for an Israeli "Operation Defensive Shield 2," given the lack of available targets and unclear objectives. Palestine
You won’t believe what these Iraqi taxi drivers are using to prevent carjackings In Iraq, organized crime is proliferating in light of lax security measures, a fragile political situation and control by the Islamic State of large swaths of territory. Iraq
Will Iranians watch Saudi-financed Persian TV? Hoping to reach an Iranian audience, Saudi Arabia is moving to focus more on Persian-language media, but the kingdom has little advantage in an already saturated market. Saudi Arabia
Will Iran play peacemaker between Russia, Turkey? Given Tehran's ties to both countries, Iranian officials discuss the potential for Iran to mediate between Russia and Turkey. Turkey
Leader of Egypt's winning party outlines what's next In an interview with Al-Monitor, Free Egyptians Party's acting President Essam Khalil discusses the party’s plan following its victory in the first and second stages of the parliamentary elections. Egypt
How one Turkish village became rich overnight Many impoverished villagers in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast have made a fortune selling chunks of a meteorite after one exploded in September, while tax inspectors gripe about not receiving their share. Turkey
Will Fatah, Hamas take Egypt's road to unity? Hamadeh Faraneh, a PNC and PCC member, revealed an Egyptian plan to achieve Palestinian unity between Fatah and Hamas, among other goals, and talks details about this in an interview with Al-Monitor. Palestine
Stepping back 1,300 years into Iraq's Ukhaidir palace The historical Fortress of Al-Ukhaidir is collapsing because of natural causes and the Iraqi state’s neglect. Iraq
Gazans fight for their right to party The Gaza Interior Ministry issued a ban on parties and events being held on main roads because of complaints about loud music and street closures. Palestine
How the Islamic State hurts Palestinian cause The Palestinians fear that the international preoccupation with the Islamic State threat offers the Netanyahu government a possible argument for evading serious negotiations for a two-state solution and to gain more ground with its right-wing base. Palestine
Why Bibi used Paris climate talks to focus on terrorism, not environment In Paris for the COP21 climate summit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu devoted his talks mostly to the issue of combating terror. Israel
Is US preparing to crack down on IRGC? A key House panel is inching closer to slapping additional sanctions on the IRGC. Congress
