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
Syrian rebel force to receive Saudi arms has worked with al-Qaeda group The leader of the Saudi-backed rebel Southern Front, which Riyadh intends to arm with advanced weaponry, has openly collaborated with al-Qaeda during the course of the Syria war. Syria
Gulf atheism in the age of social media The Arabian Peninsula is widely known for its strict observance of Islam, but a rising number of Gulf nationals are starting to distance themselves from religious practice. Saudi Arabia
Moscow foresees breakdown in Israeli-Palestinian talks Russian experts cast doubt on Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, and express their concerns about Israel's possible Plan B. Palestine
Al-Monitor recognized by IPI as 'Free Media Pioneer' The International Press Institute has awarded the annual Free Media Pioneer Award to Al-Monitor as “a model for independent coverage of the region through its news, features, analysis and commentary at a time of political upheaval.” Palestine
After AIPAC and J Street, Israel's third lobby: ZPAC? Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman reportedly will break from Likud to run separately in the next elections. Palestine
Hamas slams PA for removing religion from ID cards Hamas is saying that the Palestinian Authority's decision to abolish religion from national ID cards is a prelude to accommodating Jewish settlers in a future Palestinian state. Palestine
Expectations low for Paris conference on Lebanon Supporting Lebanon’s neutrality and providing limited funds to deal with the Syrian refugees may be all that the Paris conference achieves. Lebanon
Hamas uses backchannel to Tel Aviv According to Hamas sources, the Islamist movement sent an indirect message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and not for the first time. Palestine
Iraqi oil dispute reveals KRG vulnerability There might be a short-term fix before the Iraqi elections in April, but a lasting solution on the Baghdad-Erbil hydrocarbon question is not imminent. Iraq
US, Saudi still far apart on regional issues Saudi Arabia and the United States have competing visions for the future of the Middle East, with Saudi regional policy deeply rooted in its own domestic concerns. Saudi Arabia
Iraq’s budget problems go beyond Erbil-Baghdad crisis As the conflict continues between Baghdad and Erbil regarding Iraqi Kurdistan's share in the state budget, there is a pressing need for the government to address other budget-related issues, namely its near total dependence on oil. Iraq
