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
Bolton memoir paints Erdogan, Trump as kindred spirits In his new memoir, former national security adviser John Bolton reveals just how tangled Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's foreign policies are with US President Donald Trump. Turkey
Israel grants 700 Jordanians permits to work in Eilat hotels Israel authorized 700 Jordanians to enter the country and work at hotels in Eilat and another 800 are expected to follow, but some hotels will still remain understaffed. Israel
Young Libyan atheists seeking refuge online Since the 2011 revolution and the expansion of the Islamic State, more Libyan young people have reneged on their Muslim beliefs and are now part of a secret community on Facebook with fellow atheists. Libya
Jordan government takes on tax evasion, abuse of public office Jordanians have welcomed the government’s latest push to prosecute officials and businessmen accused of tax evasion and money laundering, but wonder if the effort will be sustainable. Jordan
Honoring Pride week, Tel Aviv recognizes same-sex couples Tel Aviv-Jaffa Mayor Ron Huldai announced that same-sex couples will enjoy similar municipal benefits to those enjoyed by married couples. Israel
Deal with US drug company raises controversy in Egypt over use of anti-coronavirus treatment Egypt’s Eva Pharma reached a deal with Gilead Sciences to locally manufacture the antiviral treatment Remdesivir for the treatment of coronavirus patients and distribute it in 127 countries. Egypt
How Libya’s war is poisoning Tunisia’s politics The war in neighboring Libya has further polarized Tunisia's political landscape and imperiled the country’s fragile governing coalition. Libya
Egypt calls emergency Arab League meeting on Libya The meeting is expected to be held next week to discuss recent developments in the Libyan conflict. Egypt
How the Engel, Omar primaries became proxy wars over Israel House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel and freshman Ilhan Omar are fending off Democratic primary challengers backed by the pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel wings of the party. Israel
Players of Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer club involved in sex scandal When two players of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer club were suspected of sexual relations with minors, club owner Mitchell Goldhar made it clear this was intolerable on all levels. Israel
US protests inspire activists across Middle East In Israel, Palestine, Egypt and Tunisia protesters take up calls for reform in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. Palestine
Why is Sirte everyone’s ‘red line’ in Libya? Libya’s coastal city of Sirte, a strategic gateway to major oil facilities, has emerged as a critical point of contention between Turkey and Russia, with France also scrambling to impede Turkey via NATO. Turkey
