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
Disappearance of Saudi journalist puts Erdogan in difficult situation The potential for a full-blown crisis between Turkey and Saudi Arabia remains in the cards. Saudi Arabia
Will Egypt opt for controversial steps to fight tax evasion? Economists in Egypt are condemning statements by the head of the Egyptian Tax Authority, whereby the Ministry of Finance might be granted access to the bank accounts of some customers and companies in a bid to reduce tax evasion. Egypt
Aid for Palestinian farmers set to go, farmers cross fingers The Palestinian Authority says it is finally ready to launch a new loan institution to assist farmers, but many suspect it will remain inoperable, like other such entities, for lack of financial resources. Palestine
Ennahda faces new allegations in Tunisian political murders A group of dogged lawyers pursuing evidence in the 2013 assassinations of two Tunisian politicians says it has uncovered new information that incriminates the Ennahda party, though Ennahda categorically denies involvement. Tunisia
Will the PA be able to invest in Area C? Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah demanded that the Palestinian Authority be allowed to invest in Area C, considering it a way to achieve development, create jobs and increase the Palestinians' GDP. Palestine
Egyptian film producers turn to war, spies Despite the prolific cinema sector in Egypt, the country’s military and espionage history has hardly featured in films — but this may change. Egypt
Netanyahu’s government engaged in political tracking The Netanyahu government is not only campaigning against left-wing politicians and activists, it is actively engaged in political tracking of the left by means of monitoring online activities and by refusing entry to the country. Israel
Jerusalem craftsman struggles to preserve Palestinian leather tradition Palestinian leatherworker Zuheir Abdul Rahim Daana is still making the crafts of his father and grandfather, but his business is suffering from supply challenges and cheap competition. Palestine
Iran's launch of ‘Look East’ 2.0 The recent Regional Security Dialogue in Tehran is an indication that Iran sees security multilateralism as a mechanism to confront US pressure and maintain the regional balance of power in its favor. Syria
Iranian MPs pass anti-terror funding bill despite death threats Iran has taken an important step in gaining access to the international banking system. Iran
Why Israel’s democracy is weakening Israel gets to keep its rating in democracy indices only because countries like the United States, Hungary and Turkey are losing index points. Israel
Will Khashoggi’s disappearance rock Turkish-Saudi relations? How Turkish President Erdogan discloses the official findings of the investigation into Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance will be crucial in determining the future of Turkish-Saudi ties. Saudi Arabia
