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
Israeli security officials recognize change in Iran Although Israel is keeping its military option on the table, Israeli defense officials privately acknowledge that Iran is undergoing a "historic" change. Israel
SodaStream is wrong target for Oxfam’s Israel boycott Boycott threats against Israel's SodaSteam company will achieve the opposite of advancing peace, by destroying an example of Israeli-Palestinian commercial cooperation and depriving hundreds of Palestinian families of their livelihoods. Palestine
Turkey-Israel ties may be linked to gas pipeline Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is inching toward normalization of Turkey-Israel relations. Israel
Gul, Erdogan agree on Gulenists Turkey's prime minister and president are both convinced that Gulenists organized within the state should be confronted within the confines of law, reflecting the Turkish state's unity against the Gulenists. Turkey
US Working Group gives wrong advice on Egypt A distinguished group of US experts on Egypt offers the wrong advice on Egypt. Palestine
Gaza factions limit cellphone use to avoid Israeli assassinations Hamas and Islamic Jihad have instructed their members to minimize their use of cellphones, as they are monitored by Israel to pinpoint assassination targets. Palestine
Egypt, Sudan rhetoric escalates over disputed region Egypt and Sudan have traded fiery statements over the disputed border region of the Halayeb-Shalateen Triangle. Egypt
Does Netanyahu have plan for settler withdrawal? The settler movement is anxious about the possibility of the Israeli government making a deal that would force them to leave. Palestine
Sexual harassment leads Egyptian women to martial arts The Shoft Tahrosh movement in Egypt has launched campaigns that teach women how to defend themselves, following a steep increase in sexual harassment. Egypt
Geneva II not the only game in town on Syria The real negotiations, including among Syrian parties and their backers, are taking place away from the media. Syria
Herzog: opposition not yet seeking alternative government Opposition leader Isaac Herzog has no intention of joining the coalition or forming an alternative government, reminding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that peace supporters “have a majority in this Knesset for an agreement with the Palestinians.” Palestine
Why is the PKK siding with the AKP in the AKP-Gulen conflict? The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) may believe that the enemy of my friend is my enemy. Turkey
