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
Restaurants on the rise in Gaza The number of restaurants are rapidly increasing in the Gaza Strip, as this industry is regarded as a safe investment in light of the siege and the ban on imports. Palestine
Israel's Mr. Gaga The Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin, considered a symbol of Israeli liberalism, says his work is not confined by the boundaries of a state, but are personal and universal. Israel
Netanyahu: 'In Israel, as in France, terror is terror' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that the perpetrators of the Paris attacks and those attacking Israelis are the same — terrorists determined to kill those who are not part of extreme Islam. Palestine
Hawkish Republican candidates don’t mince words on radical Islam While some Republican presidential candidates have been quick to declare a war on radical Islam, there has been little focus on the causes behind its rise. Syria
Is promoting civil society key to combating radical groups? Propping up oppressive dictators won’t stop violence in the Middle East and beyond, and a sophisticated approach is needed to address the complex origins of terror in the region. Pan Arab
Why is Rouhani backing off from those profiting from sanctions? Is Rouhani's softer tone against those who've benefited from the sanctions on Iran a tactic to win them over — or is he just giving up? Iran
Erdogan’s march to one-man power A few years ago, three powerful men — Erdogan, Gulen and Ocalan — had a say in Turkey’s future, but now Erdogan has emerged as "the man” charting the country’s course. Turkey
After Paris, Iran spy chief warns Tehran could be next Iranian officials have warned about the possibility of an attack by the Islamic State. Syria
Senior Palestinian official refuses to give up on peace process A senior Palestinian official has given his blessing to the current wave of protest activities against the Israeli army and settlers while clearly warning about the uprising taking a military turn. Palestine
Paris attacks spoil AKP’s G-20 game plan Turkey's AKP government will not be able to use the G-20 summit as an anti-Kurdish platform. Syria
Was government negligence to blame for deadly fireworks explosion in Jordan? Jordanian politicians and analysts are blaming poor government performance for the explosion in Amman’s Customs Department that killed seven. Jordan
How one Lebanese woman is clowning around to bring laughter to refugees The nonprofit organization Clowns Without Borders performed for two weeks to offer moments of laughter and levity. Lebanon
