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
US takes selective offense against Israeli defense minister The United States reacts with outrage to Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s criticism of US policy, but is silent about Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman’s delegitimization of 1.6 million Arab citizens. Palestine
Iraqi Shiite militants return from Syria, aggravating security crisis Some Iraqis now worry that Shiite militants who are fighting alongside the regime in Syria will eventually return to Iraq once the Syrian crisis is over, a situation some fear might aggravate the security situation in Iraq. Iraq
Iran resumes monetary aid to Hamas Dramatic regional events have sparked a warming of Hamas-Iran ties, but Hamas' relations with Hezbollah remain cool. Palestine
Israeli diplomats go on strike at crucial moment Israel's international standing requires all possible diplomatic efforts, but years of low salaries and disregard for their working conditions have forced the Foreign Ministry's staff to declare a general strike. Israel
Syria’s victory in Yabrud may be game changer At least for now, the recapture of Yabrud by Syrian government forces appears to have tilted the military and political balance in favor of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Israel
Turkey shoots down Syrian plane as elections heat up Turkey's political opposition warns Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that "a thief cannot be a hero." Syria
Egypt says cooperation continues with Ethiopia on Nile Basin projects In an interview with Al-Monitor, Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdul Muttalib says that Egypt has not stopped bilateral cooperation with Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam dispute. Egypt
Fatwa emerges in Turkish corruption allegations What is the role of political Islam in the allegations of corruption against the government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan? Turkey
Will Lebanon be on Obama's agenda in Saudi Arabia? Given the long history of external influence in Lebanon, some in Lebanon are speculating that US President Barack Obama’s upcoming talks in Riyadh could include a discussion on the next Lebanese president. Saudi Arabia
Israelis indifferent to latest Netanyahu scandal The latest scandal concerning the behavior of Sara Netanyahu toward the premier's residence manager has not turned into a significant public debate, but generated caricatures and satirical comments on social networks. Israel
Iranians ignore government limits on holiday celebration Iranians celebrate the ancient Iranian holiday Chaharshanbeh-Souri on the last Tuesday of the year, despite the official discouragement of celebrating a pre-Islamic holiday. Iran
Turkey faces 'geography’s revenge' in Crimea Turkey’s strategic environment has become even more complicated following the Russian annexation of Crimea. Turkey
