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
New Right more reality show than party After splitting from HaBayit HaYehudi for personal political reasons, Ministers Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked are struggling to define a distinct agenda for their new political platform. Israel
Does China endanger Israel’s security? Israeli security experts warn that growing Chinese involvement in infrastructure projects could endanger the country’s security. Israel
Kurdistan flag row threatens to reignite Kirkuk powder keg The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan raised the flag of Kurdistan over its headquarters in the multiethnic city of Kirkuk, fueling tensions between Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan over the disputed, oil-rich city. Iraq
Rumi’s message of tolerance calls thousands to Konya centuries on More than seven centuries after his death, Mawlana Jalal-ud-din Rumi’s message draws visitors from different religions, nationalities and races to his shrine in central Anatolia. Turkey
Pompeo's Cairo speech panned as ‘tone-deaf,’ ‘hyper-partisan,’ ‘offensive’ Former diplomats and regional experts say Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s Cairo address fell short on substance and policy vision, while inappropriately taking domestic partisan arguments to foreign soil. Egypt
The real reason Egypt tried to quash Sisi's '60 Minutes' interview While the Egyptian president's comments on human rights and political prisoners angered Western observers, his comments on coordination with Israel pose a greater domestic threat. Egypt
Iran state TV airs video making case for jailing of British-Iranian dual national A video aired on Iranian state television featured previously unseen footage of the arrest of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Iran
Turkey says Syria offensive does not depend on US troop withdrawal Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has warned against attempts to delay Turkish plans to fight a Kurdish militia in Syria when the United States pulls its forces out. Syria
Turkey’s crisis-hit soccer clubs face bitter pills in rescue plan A “rescue” plan is in the making for Turkey’s cash-strapped soccer clubs, but the operation might result in further political control over the soccer industry. Turkey
Debate over Syrian refugees gathers steam in Turkey Young Syrians celebrating New Year’s Eve in public Istanbul squares ignited false claims that Syrians are enjoying life in Turkey while Turkish soldiers die for their country. Syria
Anger among Iraqi Kurds as Syria adds Masrour Barzani to terror list The Kurdistan Regional Government has been quick to respond after the Syrian government named Masrour Barzani, the son of Massoud Barzani, to its list of terrorists. Iraq
