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
Activists fear Iraqi cybercrime law could limit press freedoms The Iraqi cybercrime bill makes a reappearance amid widespread objections by civilians and activists who label it as repressive of freedoms and rights guaranteed in the Iraqi Constitution. Iraq
Cash-strapped Turkey relies on Qatari investments In only five years, Qatar has come to account for 15% of all foreign direct investments in Turkey, second only to deep-rooted Dutch investors. Turkey
Bahrain trade minister on three-day trip to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi each met today with Bahrain Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, who arrived in Israel leading a delegation of 40 businesspeople. Israel
Egypt’s Al-Azhar pressed to call Muslim Brotherhood terror group Religious institutions in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have classified the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, increasing pressure on Al-Azhar to do likewise. Egypt
Court throws out school discrimination suit as Israel tests nationality law An Israeli court’s decision against Arab children demanding to be reimbursed for traveling to a distant Arabic-speaking school illustrates the dangerous implications of the 2018 nationality law. Israel
Oman to issue tourist visas after 8-month suspension Travelers whose trips are organized through hotels or tourism companies can apply for visas. Oman
Israel's Blue and White party plans vote to dissolve Knesset Defense Minister Benny Gantz said there will be early elections unless the government passes a budget. Israel
Jerusalem cable car taken to Israel's highest court Israel's High Court is set to rule on a controversial cable car project in Jerusalem that would alter the city's landscape. Israel
What do Turkey's Kurds expect from Biden's presidency? Pro-Kurdish political parties in Turkey are keeping their hope for Joe Biden’s presidency with utmost caution. Turkey
Swedish-Iranian academic faces 'imminent' execution in Iran Rights groups are urging Iranian authorities to halt their planned execution of Ahmadreza Djalali. Iran
Iran MPs vote for nuclear deal breaches after scientist’s assassination Four days after a top Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated, the country’s conservative parliament overwhelmingly adopted a draft bill calling for significant breaches of Tehran’s obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal. Israel
Turkish labor leaders criticize state COVID-19 response as cases surge Turkish officials introduced tighter curfew measures to curb a national surge in COVID-19 rates, drawing criticism from labor rights leaders over exemptions for production workers. Turkey
