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’s early elections could trigger new Gaza violence With early elections approaching in Israel, Hamas is wary of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu withdrawing from the Gaza arrangement and might opt for another wave of violence. Palestine
How Iran sees 'post-America' Syria Rather than gloating, Iran has adopted a cautious approach to the US withdrawal from Syria as it examines whether and how it will impact Washington’s greater strategy to contain its regional role. Syria
Rouhani presents budget bill in raucous parliament session Iran's President Hassan Rouhani presented his government's budget bill, which includes several belt-tightening measures in anticipation of US sanctions, to a chamber of furious lawmakers. Iran
France becomes Turkey’s newest bugbear as Kurds court Macron Now that US forces are withdrawing from Syria, Turkey has turned its ire to France, which could play a bridging role between the Kurds, Moscow and Washington that could upset Turkish plans. Syria
Qatar deal expected to boost Palestinian trade As part of Doha's continued efforts to boost the Palestinian economy, the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed a cooperation agreement with the Palestinian Trade Center in a bid to strengthen their partnerships. Qatar
Inheritance battle brewing for Yemeni political control The late Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh left behind wealth estimated at $32 billion to $60 billion, but an even bigger fortune is up for grabs politically. Yemen
What Israel’s election should actually be about The issues of ending the occupation, the democratic nature of Israel and relations with American Jewry should dominate the election campaign no less than the character of the political actors seeking office, but they likely will not. Palestine
Yellow vest protests fail in Israel Just putting on a yellow vest to protest against sudden price hikes hasn’t proved to be enough to spread in Israel the rage that brought hundreds of thousands of people out onto the streets of France. Israel
Iraqi border eyes Iran influence as US plans Syria pullout After the retaking of IS-held territory across the border and the US announcement it would pull its troops out of Syria, Iraq’s western Anbar is grappling with the prospect of increased Iranian influence amid joblessness, a lack of electricity and reports of cross-border drug smuggling. Iraq
Turkey’s youth unemployment reaches frightening level Youth unemployment in Turkey has hit 21.6%, according to official figures, but beyond the formal definitions and methodologies, the actual situation on the ground is even more alarming. Turkey
Who's afraid of a free Israeli press? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has intensified attacks against media outlets and journalists that don't serve his interests. Israel
