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 Israel-UAE deal doesn't merit the hype While many in the United States and Israel have celebrated the deal as a geopolitical "earthquake," it's unlikely to lead to transformational change. Originals
Iran's Rouhani assails UAE-Israeli deal as 'huge mistake' IRGC goes even further, terming the agreement "the biggest betrayal in history." Iran
Israeli left cheers weakly as Netanyahu inks deal with UAE The Israel-UAE deal crushes the center-left’s belief that no Arab state will make peace with Israel without the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the establishment of a Palestinian state. United Arab Emirates
Turkish-backed armed groups clash in northern Syria Since the Turkish-backed FSA took control of areas north of Aleppo and some areas of the countryside of Raqqa and Hasakah, the bombings that claimed hundreds of civilian lives never stopped, nor did the kidnappings and assassinations, while clashes erupted among some factions allied with Turkey. Syria
Will Qatar renew Gaza aid? There are concerns the Qatari aid to the Gazans will stop as tension escalates on the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Qatar
UAE-Israel peace deal causes Egyptians to reminisce about Arabs' lost opportunities for peace Despite Egypt being the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, analysts in Egypt do not share President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's enthusiasm about the recent Emirati-Israeli peace deal. Some have denounced it as "a betrayal" of the Palestinian cause while others reminisce about Arabs' "lost opportunities" for peace. Egypt
Why did Hifter's forces host Libyan army celebration in Cairo? The presence of senior government figures and military leaders from Egypt and Libya at the Libyan National Army anniversary in Cairo clearly shows that Egypt and its army will always have Libya’s back against Turkish influence. Egypt
Arab-Israelis shocked by virus czar's 'terror attack' comment Many Arab-Israelis found coronavirus czar Ronni Gamzu's recent comments about their allegedly irresponsible behavior counterproductive and insulting. Israel
Israeli companies enthusiastic on deal with UAE, target Gulf market Israeli companies in the fields of cyber, water management, defense and even diamonds are lining up for launching business ventures in the United Arab Emirates. United Arab Emirates
Intel: Unpaid salaries fuel protests in Iraqi Kurdistan Ongoing budget disputes with Baghdad have fueled salary delays and a lack of business bailouts in the Kurdistan Region as KRG debt swells to $27 billion. Iraq
Fact vs. fiction on US-Israel police exchanges Al-Monitor spoke to Israelis and Americans involved in police exchanges between the countries in response to far-left allegations they teach harmful practices. Israel
UN Security Council rejects US-sought extension on Iran arms embargo The resolution failed by a 2-2 vote with 11 abstentions. United States
