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
Kurdish peace process is on knife edge — again Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) members kidnapped four Turkish soldiers on Sunday only to release them early Monday; this has caused people to question the progress of talks with PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. Iraq
Netanyahu worries about US reset in region If Iran is no longer a diplomatic taboo, could Hamas and Hezbollah be next for Washington? Palestine
Egyptian youth activists need protest plan The broader Egyptian population is wary of more protests. Egypt
Kerry has reason for optimism on Israeli-Palestinian talks The US secretary of state's optimism over the Israeli-Palestinian talks is reasonable, considering their current goals: Right now, the sides are mapping out the points of disagreement, something they may well accomplish. Palestine
Omani rejection of GCC union adds insult to injury for Saudi Arabia The Omani stance may force the kingdom to pause in its regional policies. Saudi Arabia
Tattooed in Tehran Iranian officials are actively trying to stem the appeal of tattooing, which is illegal but increasingly popular among youths. Iran
Arab-Israeli peace academy honors Mandela's legacy Sharon Stone, Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman, former Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Alaa and peace activist Uri Savir work together in the spirit of Nelson Mandela's legacy to promote a first-of-its-kind young leadership Arab-Israeli peace academy. Palestine
Is US letting down allies in Lebanon with Iran deal? There is a growing belief among traditional US allies in Lebanon that the recent Iranian nuclear deal will be at their expense. Saudi Arabia
Are jihadists coming to the West Bank? The recent deaths of three Palestinian men in Hebron has sparked a local debate on the presence of Salafist jihadism in the West Bank. Palestine
Iraqi government rejects plans for women’s shelters The Iraqi government has refused to back plans by civil society associations to open shelters for battered women, claiming that women would use them to leave their husbands, and this would threaten many Iraqi families. Iraq
Netanyahu's diplomatic vacuum Israel's prime minister will need to get busy in the peace process or present an alternative plan of his own. Palestine
Will Russia play the Kurdish card? Russia’s connections to the region’s Kurdish communities present both opportunities and risks for Moscow’s interests in the Middle East. Syria
