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
Lobbying 2015: Kuwait secures Guantanamo releases Kuwait is spending $2 million a year to convince the US to release its citizens from Guantanamo Bay. Its success ratio so far has been 11 : 1. Kuwait
Lobbying 2015: UAE asserts itself with record-smashing lobby blitz The United Arab Emirates spent a record $12.7 million last year to face down criticism from Islamists and US airlines. United Arab Emirates
Lobbying 2015: Jordan earns $1 billion bonus for battling IS The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan relies on the US-educated king’s 15-year relationship with top lawmakers and military officials to defend a strategic lynchpin at the heart of the Middle East maelstrom. Jordan
Lobbying 2015: Congress deserts Sahara activists Massively outspent by Morocco, the Western Sahara’s independence fighters have been all but deserted by Congress and the Obama administration. Western Sahara
Can Iraq bring Iran, GCC closer? Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's recent visit to Iraq sends several important signals — all centering on increasing regional security in the Middle East. Iraq
Hamas' cyber battalions take on Israel The cyber war between the Israelis and the Palestinians is intensifying, with each side racing to penetrate the enemy’s sensitive sites. Palestine
Kobani’s oil dries up Living conditions are dire in Kobani, and the precarious economic conditions seem to be related to the lack of oil due to the blockade that has been insulating the city. Syria
Rebels unlikely to find success in Aleppo In light of divisions among rebel factions, it appears the battle for Aleppo will be long and drawn out, unlike the rapid progress they made in capturing Idlib. Syria
Netanyahu, Bennett square off over settlers Recent protests by settlers have pitted Education Minister Naftali Bennett against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a fight over right-wing support. Palestine
Will Saudi Arabia save Hamas? Saudi Arabia's patronage of Hamas could help the movement's leadership regain the power usurped by its military wing and save it from collapse. Saudi Arabia
Lapid, Herzog veer right Israeli center-left leaders' adoption of rhetoric to appeal to the right instead of crafting credible policy alternatives indicates that they have not learned the lessons from their March electoral loss and will be unprepared for early elections. Israel
Israel, not Iran, started Middle East nuclear arms race Claims that the Iran deal will spark a nuclear arms race in the region ignore the fact that Israel been leading the Middle East's arms race for the last 65 years. Legacy: Gulf
