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
Russia's expanding military presence in Syria Russia is apparently establishing its first air base in the Middle East, at Jableh, Syria, a move that would change the rules of the game in the region. Syria
Aid cuts keep PA stuck in economic rut The Palestinian Authority has been plagued by a protracted financial crisis amid thinning foreign aid and not enough local revenues to end the deficit. Palestine
Protesters destroy Hafez al-Assad statue in Suwayda The residents of the Syrian city of Suwayda took to the street in peaceful demonstrations in early September to voice their opposition to the rampant corruption and bad living conditions in the city. Syria
How Bibi's Iran obsession has damaged American-Jewish community's image By soliciting the aid of American-Jewish organizations to openly battle the Iran deal in the US Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu damaged the bipartisan image of the Jewish community in the United States. Israel
Should Hamas recognize Israel? Some factions within Hamas' political leadership think that recognizing Israel might be the only way to relieve the situation of the Gaza Strip and ensure the survival of the Hamas movement. Palestine
Meshaal calls for unity to achieve Palestinian goals Hamas political bureau head Khaled Meshaal proposes renewed efforts to overcome the current Palestinian crises. Qatar
Religious leaders divided over proposal to add movie theaters to mosques The head of an international association for Islamic preaching has proposed an initiative to annex theater halls to mosques in Egypt, stirring controversy among the country's religious institutions. Egypt
Have Israeli politicians forgotten who they are supposed to serve? The Knesset opposition seems to have forgotten that it has a crucial role to play in keeping the government in check. Israel
Tehran's ever-ambitious mayor Tehran's mayor, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, is making plans for his supporters to gain seats in the February parliamentary elections. Iran
Khamenei: Israel will no longer exist in 25 years Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said that talks with the United States will be limited to the nuclear issue and predicts that Israel won't survive for another 25 years. Iran
Israel, the fortress When Israel completes the construction of its eastern fence, it could finally declare itself a well-fortified stronghold in the heart of the Middle Eastern jungle. Israel
Israel's internal Labor Party leadership battle is sign of its return to relevance Zionist Camp Knesset member Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin claims that the party has been repeatedly defeated since the era of Prime Minister Ehud Barak because it lost Yitzhak Rabin's legacy of security, something she would like to bring back through diplomatic security as well as social security efforts. Israel
