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
Israel, Egypt, Gulf fear US betrayal Israel has become part of an unexpected alliance with the Gulf countries, Egypt and Jordan, all disappointed by the US administration's lack of Middle East understanding. Egypt
An atmosphere of peace, not of farewell Kurdistan Region of Iraq President Massoud Barzani joined Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a historic visit to Diyarbakir. Iraq
Turkey’s Alevi question The government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking to heal old wounds with Turkey’s Alevi community, while stepping back from sectarian regional policies. Iraq
Kurds divided over Syrian autonomy The Democratic Union Party (PYD) is proceeding with its plans for a transitional government in the Kurdistan region of western Syria, despite the opposition of the Kurdish National Council and Iraqi Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani. Iraq
Iran’s Twitter offensive Iran's Twitter blitz is designed to create the conditions for a nuclear deal with Iran. Israel
Libya slips into chaos Western governments have underestimated Libya's instability, according to the minister in the United Kingdom's Foreign Commonwealth Office responsible for the region. Libya
Netanyahu's coalition stable but paralyzed With personal aspirations and sectorial interests keeping Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition together, no socioeconomic or diplomatic reform is on the horizon. Israel
Fixing Gaza's electricity crisis Poor management and dubious contracts by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas are making an electricity crisis in Gaza worse. Palestine
Carrying weapons is new norm for Iraqi youths Amid the devastating violence that has plagued Iraq for the past 10 years, Iraqi youths are increasingly carrying knives and other light weapons. Iraq
Syrian government and opposition jockey ahead of Geneva II As preparations continue for the Geneva II conference, both the Syrian opposition and the regime seem increasingly divided over their respective positions on the talks. Syria
Syrian Baath militia commander goes rags-to-riches The civil war has enabled a few military-minded individuals to make significant profits off the misery of millions of Syrians. Syria
AKP, Gulen community in open war The war between the AKP and its former de facto partner, the Gulen community, is heating up amid reports of government plans to shut prep schools, a sector where Gulenists are hugely influential. Turkey
