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
Fate of kidnapped Syrian bishops still unknown As the one-year anniversary of the kidnapping of Bishops Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi in Aleppo approaches, questions persist regarding their fate and the identity of the kidnappers. Lebanon
Turkey criticizes downgraded credit rating Turkey blames its long-standing quarrel with credit rating agencies on hasty misperceptions of its political stability. Turkey
Sinai tribal leaders lose local support Sinai's tribal leaders are losing influence among their tribes, who largely consider them informants for the sitting government in Egypt. Egypt
Is Turkey reverting to a 'muhaberat' state? The Turkish prime minister's interference with the judiciary and a new intelligence bill could signal a return to a single-ruler era — the era of the "national chief." Turkey
Double standard for press freedom in Turkey Neither local nor Western press groups condemned the heavy penalties on the pro-government aHaber TV station. Turkey
Gaza’s population balloons With an average 5.7 births for each woman, Gaza’s government has no plans to curtail population growth. Palestine
Iraqi elections: all talk, no walk Many political blocs have dismissed the Iraqi voter as unable to analyze complex and detailed political programs. Iraq
Lone-wolf attacks on Israeli settlers increase Individual, unorganized Palestinian attacks against Israeli settlers are difficult to prevent and reflect a frustrated Palestinian street. Palestine
Planned construction encroaches on Temple Mount, Western Wall Palestinians have not reacted to the wave of plans approved lately by Jerusalem's planning committee to build rabbinical colleges and a Jewish visitor center at the heart of East Jerusalem. Palestine
Terrorism expands from Sinai to Cairo Armed extremist groups in Egypt have spread their operations from the remote areas of the Sinai Peninsula to the densely populated metropolises of Cairo and the Delta. Egypt
American Christians join Israel's fight against poverty In an interview with Al-Monitor, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, head of Israel's largest philanthropic organization, explains how it donates millions of shekels to welfare projects, effectively making up for the government’s failure in dealing with poverty. Israel
Hamas in overdrive to restore regional ties Hamas is pursuing a policy of neutrality while it reaches out to regional capitals to end its crippling isolation. Palestine
