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
Iran claims scientist was assassinated via satellite Commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have said that Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed by use of satellite and face recognition. Iran
Israeli FM responds to Saudi critique with renewed calls for dialogue with Palestinians Ahead of President-elect Joe Biden assuming office, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi multiplies his calls upon the Palestinian leadership to return to the negotiating table. Israel
Jordan’s 2021 budget is a harbinger of worse things to come The Jordanian government approved the 2021 draft budget law, which suggests an even tougher and more unstable year for Jordanians, who are witnessing a growing economic crisis worsened by the coronavirus pandemic. Jordan
Egypt begins dismissing imams based on Brotherhood ties Some legal experts are questioning the Egyptian Ministry of Religious Endowments’ decision to dismiss a number of imams across Egypt over their ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt
Syrian opposition retracts decision on electoral committee Against a wave of criticism by the Syrian opposition, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces backtracked on its decision to form a national elections commission. Syria
Egypt, Iraq deepen defense ties Egypt and Iraq are expanding defense industry ties in a sign of deepening engagement among Cairo, Baghdad and Amman. Egypt
Are there signs of thaw in Turkish-Saudi relations? A phone call between the Turkish and Saudi leaders generated hopes for thawing of relations between Ankara and Riyadh, but significant roadblocks must be removed to end bellicose affairs. Saudi Arabia
Live fact-checking comes to Israeli TV For the first time ever, Israeli news broadcasts fact-checked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu live as he gave a press conference after the Knesset voted to dissolve itself. Israel
Gulf oil producers scramble to catch up on renewables The coronavirus pandemic has pushed Gulf leaders to realize the region needs to accelerate its shift toward renewables; environmental activists accuse the Gulf states of double-talk. Legacy: Gulf
Beitar Jerusalem soccer club pursues talks with Emirati investor Owner of Beitar Jerusalem soccer club Moshe Hogeg is determined to ignore threats by La Familia fan club against partnering with an Emirati investor. United Arab Emirates
Israel issues travel warning involving several Middle Eastern states The Israeli government wants Israelis to avoid travel to the UAE, Turkey and other countries following the killing of an Iranian nuclear scientist. Israel
Biden: 'Hard to tell' how scientist’s killing would impact Iran negotiations The recent assassination of Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh could complicate Biden's pledge to rejoin the nuclear agreement. United States
