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
Why Iran isn't concerned over US plans for 'Arab NATO' Contrary to what some may have expected, Iran does not appear concerned about US efforts to set up an "Arab NATO" — and for good reasons. United States
Talk of referendum on Trump meeting goes viral in Iran The idea of holding referendums in Iran is generating lots of posts on social media, especially a vote on President Hassan Rouhani possibly meeting with Donald Trump, a topic on which the print media is largely steering clear. Iran
Ex-army chief rises swiftly in Turkish civilian politics Hulusi Akar, Turkey’s new defense minister, could play a balancing role in the new regime of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
US game plan on Iran written in Tel Aviv, claim Israeli insiders Israeli sources claim that the actions taken by the Donald Trump administration against the Iranian regime all originate in Tel Aviv. Israel
Egypt comes to rescue as Israel cuts off Gaza gas When Israel cut Gaza's fuel supply, Egypt stepped up to keep the Strip running, though shortages are still overwhelming. Palestine
Mideast migrants face increased discrimination in Italy New Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini is taking steps to stop illegal migration to Italy, but critics say his methods are fueling racism against Middle Eastern foreigners. Libya
Arab Israelis split over campaign against Nationality Law Following a three-week delay, the Arab-Israeli leadership this week joined the protest against the Nationality Law, appealing to the Supreme Court to overturn it and organizing a large demonstration. Palestine
Turkey steps up efforts to shun dollar As the Turkish lira plunges to a record low, some voices in Ankara are warning that the United States is furious over Turkey’s efforts to reduce its dependency on the dollar. Turkey
Why Trump's plan to shut UNRWA is not the solution Instead of cutting US funds for the UNRWA or allocating them to states, the Trump administration should encourage phasing out the agency while implementing a comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian refugee issue. Palestine
Russia eyes refugee return as centerpiece of next policy move in Syria Moscow claims it's making progress in talks with Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey over the return of Syrian refugees; yet getting international organizations and the United States to cooperate on the refugee return and the reconstruction of Syria proves more challenging. Jordan
Tiny fish powers Gaza bodybuilders After a bodybuilder in Gaza City started searching for an affordable protein-rich diet, he found the answer in UNRWA's standard food aid packages. Palestine
Brunson affair taking economic toll on Turkey A Turkish delegation has been dispatched to Washington to try to resolve the crisis swirling around the detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson in Izmir. Turkey
