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
How Syrian artists are livening up Turkey’s art scene Syrian artists who have come to Turkey found it difficult to find platforms to showcase their work, but this may be changing slowly. Syria
Kahlon aligns with Regev with eye toward early Israeli elections Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon has signed on to Culture Minister Miri Regev’s racist agenda against Israel’s Arab citizens not because of his ideology but in cynical preparation for early elections. Israel
Under nationality law, Israeli court favors Jews The resolution handed down recently by the Jerusalem District Court demonstrates the true ramifications of the nationality law and how Jews would be favored in courts. Palestine
Putin grants Erdogan last chance to end Idlib quagmire on Turkey’s terms Erdogan saves face in Sochi; did Turkey and Syria collaborate to capture Reyhanli terrorist?; Erdogan, Ocalan and Syria. Syria
Renaissance fair brings Camelot to Lebanon The Middle East's first-ever Renaissance fair brings together several growing niche communities into one fantasy-filled event. Lebanon
Saudi Arabia is at its least stable in 50 years To maintain its stability, Saudi Arabia needs to end the costly war in Yemen, where much of the population is subject to famine and disease. Legacy: Gulf
Legendary Egyptian director's films restored for new generations A festival in Cairo featuring director Youssef Chahine's films is attracting a new generation, who are commemorating the 10th anniversary of his death. Egypt
Kurds need to narrow down choices for Iraqi president The two largest Kurdish political parties in Iraq are likely to agree eventually on a presidential candidate, but in the meantime several hats are in the ring. Iraq
Palestinians ponder reasons for punishing US measures Washington keeps heaping injuries and insults onto Palestinians, who have various theories about the motivation behind the measures. Palestine
Jerusalem mayoral race heating up After Elkin missed out on the ultra-Orthodox deal, it’s not clear that Netanyahu would go out of his way to support him – he’ll certainly prefer his personal interests with the ultra-Orthodox. If residents of East Jerusalem would vote, they would decide who the next mayor would be. Israel
'UNRWA or nothing': Palestinians in Lebanon brace for the worst Palestinians in Lebanon have already begun to feel the consequences of funding cuts in schools and hospitals as a result of the United States halting contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. Lebanon
Intimidation, persecution of Iranian lawyers won’t halt dissent Iran's lawyers face tight restrictions and countless obstacles from the government, especially those who dare to work security and political cases. Iran
