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
From Ataturk to Erdogan: Turks rewrite history In the 1930s, Ataturk promoted a radical revision of history to boost the morale of Turks, while today President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems to be engaging in another historical revision to boost the morale of fellow Muslims. Turkey
Embattled Rouhani struggles to find allies in parliament President Hassan Rouhani has had a contentious relationship with his conservative parliament, and steps to form a moderate faction have been slow. Iran
'Conflict freeze' desperately needed in Aleppo Residents of Aleppo are losing patience with the hardships the war has brought and want an end to the conflict that has ruined their city and their lives. Syria
EU ministers discuss jihadist travel to Syria, border security While the G6 meeting of interior ministers on Nov. 6 focused on jihadists traveling from Europe to Syria via Turkey, the European Parliament is considering putting in place more stringent security checks and travel restrictions. Iraq
Recent events a good sign for Lebanon Developments among parties in Lebanon as well as between Iran and the P5+1 might ultimately lead to solutions to Lebanon's current political stalemate. Saudi Arabia
Security expert: Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis 'gasping for breath' As Egyptian terrorist group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis swore allegiance to the Islamic State, several Egyptian security experts dismissed its significance, citing strong gains by the army against the Sinai-based group. Egypt
Jews, Arabs use religion as tool to escalate conflict The murders at the Bnei Torah Kehillat Yaakov synagogue in Jerusalem are yet another sign of both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict adding religious elements to the territorial dispute. Palestine
Gaza’s civil servants strike over unpaid wages The pay dispute concerning Gaza’s public servants continues, with the consensus government refusing to pay for security and military employees hired by the previous Hamas government. Palestine
Islamic State pledge in Sinai raises stakes for Egypt Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis’ decision to declare allegiance to the Islamic State undercuts President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s efforts to reassure the Egyptian public that his government is winning the war on terror in the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt
Davutoglu's wishful thinking Remarks by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu that US President Barack Obama is coming around to Ankara’s position on Syria are not supported by statements from Washington. Syria
Following synagogue attack, Netanyahu, Abbas must meet With the latest wave of suicide attacks in Jerusalem, Israel faces a security situation that cannot be solved by building fences like the separation wall. Palestine
3,500 Palestinians stuck outside Gaza The author interviews several Gazans stuck in Egypt and other countries, herself included, who are unable to return to the Gaza Strip following the terrorist attack in Sinai and the subsequent closure of the Rafah crossing. Palestine
