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
Al-Qaeda-affiliated emir arrested in Lebanon Majid bin Mohammad al-Majid, the emir of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades in the Levant, was arrested by the Lebanese army, and he is hospitalized. Lebanon
Ahmad Tibi: Netanyahu does everything to prevent an agreement Knesset member Ahmad Tibi warns Israel that PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will not concede on East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine nor on the refugees issue. Palestine
Israeli actors refuse to perform across Green Line This week’s refusal by three Israeli theater stars to perform across the Green Line raises the dilemma of commitment to one’s art or one’s conscience. Palestine
Harrowing end to 2013 for civil society in Egypt It’s been a harrowing end to 2013 for activists, journalists and opposition, who have faced crackdowns, arrests, imprisonment and death when opposing or even just working under the rule of the military-backed government that ousted Mohammed Morsi. Egypt
Despite prisoner release, any Israeli settlement construction may end talks Palestinian Authority Minister for Prisoner Affairs Issa Karake has declared that if Israel insists on more settlement construction following the latest prisoner release, the negotiations will be over. Palestine
Is Erdogan’s survival detrimental to Turkish democracy? The Turkish prime minister is using his executive powers in what seems a desperate effort to alter the legal system to protect himself and his government against further corruption allegations. Turkey
Was Jesus a Palestinian, a Jew or both? The Israeli Foreign Ministry was quick to respond to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' claim that Jesus was Palestinian. Palestine
Death of Gaza child renews fears of war The recent Israeli shelling of the Gaza Strip, which led to the death of a 3-year-old girl, has renewed residents’ fears of another military confrontation. Palestine
Jordan readies for possible framework agreement Jordan is taking care to make its positions clear ahead of an expected US “framework proposal” in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Palestine
Another year, another chance for spring 2014 will be a time for the Middle East to assess the promises and falterings of the Arab Spring and rebuild the confidence of the people to push forward together. Lebanon
Does Erdogan's attack on judiciary reflect his view of Turkish democracy? The Erdogan government's evasion of the corruption investigation increases the risks to Turkey's unity and peace. Turkey
Turkey's Kurds want explanation, apology for Roboski massacre The emotional estrangement of Turkey’s Kurds has deepened over Ankara’s failure to bring to account those responsible for the killing of 34 Turkish Kurdish youths in 2011 and the continued imprisonment of Kurdish members of Turkey's parliament. Turkey
