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
Israeli mayor swears to keep his city Jewish The election of an inciting mayor in the city of Afula, who promotes an anti-Arab agenda, emphasizes the racist ramifications of the Nationality Law. Israel
Photos of Beirut's abandoned buildings tell city's story Gregory Buchakjian photographed abandoned buildings in Beirut to document the political and economic crises that have shaped the city and the rest of Lebanon. He is currently presenting what he discovered in an exhibition, book, and film. Lebanon
UN Syria envoy's last Astana meeting ends with mixed results While the UN envoy to Syria lamented the 11th meeting of the Astana talks as a "failed possibility" to make progress, other participants felt differently about the results. Jordan
US sanctions unlikely to crack Iran’s support for Syria Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have perfected low-budget warfare; Putin draws his own red line with Israel and Iran; Erdogan’s zero-sum approach to Syrian Kurds. Israel
Trump administration dusts off Cold War playbook to defend Saudi ties The Donald Trump administration is using a popular 1980s theory to rationalize support for a friendly autocracy. Saudi Arabia
Congress gives Rand Paul the run-around to pass Syria sanctions bill Congress may resort to parliamentary parlor tricks to pass overwhelmingly bipartisan Syria sanctions legislation because of opposition from one senator. Syria
Why US sanctions won’t ‘starve’ Iran of means to pursue its regional policy The Trump administration’s stated aim to “starve” Iran of the financial resources to conduct its regional policy is unlikely to succeed for many reasons, including the fact that Tehran has honed inexpensive hybrid warfare. United States
Villagers on KRG-Turkey border welcome new road, troops to protect it As Turkey's hunt for the Kurdish resistance group claims victims who have no ties to or sympathy for the Kurdistan Workers Party, locals hope a new border post protected by peshmerga can establish security and end the bombing of innocent villagers. Turkey
Will Neolithic West Bank mask spark modern-day culture war? A Neolithic mask found in the Judean Desert is a relic from a bygone spiritual belief system prevalent in the region around 9,000 years ago. Palestine
Iran’s shift of tactics endangers Israel Israel Defense Forces are confronted with a new reality in which Hezbollah receives weapons from Iran by air cargo landing in Beirut and not by truck convoys from Syria. Israel
New Egyptian panel will defend government, not human rights Numerous so-called human rights organizations in Egypt are working to shine up the regime's image, blasting any independent or global rights groups that dare to speak up about human rights violations in Egypt. Egypt
