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
Hashemite white paper says Arabs were first inhabitants of Jerusalem A white paper by the Amman-based think tank the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought suggests 5,000 years of continuous Arab presence in Jerusalem, specifying the Hashemite custodianship of Christian and Muslim holy sites in the city. Palestine
Anger over male Knesset member appointed to head women's rights committee Women's rights groups are furious over the appointment of male Knesset member Oded Forer to head the Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality. Israel
Libya’s warring parties participate in ‘productive’ cease-fire talks, UN says The UN Mission in Libya said the Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army were involved in another round of truce talks. Originals
Erdogan banks on Trump’s friendship to deal with Libya Turkey needs the support of the United States more than it did months ago to implement its regional agenda in Libya and beyond. Turkey
Intel: State Department official 'tried to bully' watchdog reviewing Saudi arms sale The independent watchdog ousted by President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that a high-ranking State Department official “tried to bully” him in part because of his review of last year’s emergency arms sale for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia
Report: Israel’s El Al airline could be owned by state again El Al is facing major difficulties during the current economic and health crises and is seeking government help as Israel's borders remain closed. Israel
The Takeaway: Muslim Brotherhood dealt ‘death blow’ in Egypt for now, renowned French scholar says Highlights: In Al-Monitor podcast, Gilles Kepel discusses his new book, “Away from Chaos”; George Floyd protests resonate in Iraq; Erdogan links antifa to Kurdish groups; Migrant workers in Gulf face uncertain post-COVID future; Google technology boosts Egyptian archaeology; and more! Originals
US watchdog group: Turkey’s actions in Syria endanger religious diversity The partial withdrawal of US troops from northeast Syria in October created a vacuum for religious repression, a bipartisan US agency says. Syria
Dubai-based airline Emirates cuts jobs again Emirates has resumed regular passenger flights, but the carrier had to reduce the size of its workforce concurrent with its reduced operations, a spokesperson said. United Arab Emirates
Iran’s debt-ridden international broadcasters face closure Iran’s state-funded international TV channels, including Press TV, could soon be taken off the air due to accumulated debt amid the country’s cash reserve crisis. Iran
Turkish Foreign Ministry rejects Libya cease-fire Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu dismissed an Egypt-brokered cease-fire in Libya, as Tripoli forces pursue an offensive on Sirte after a string of victories. Turkey
Rocket hits Baghdad as US-Iraq dialogue set to launch In order to reorganize the relationship between the two countries in various aspects, Iraq and the United States are negotiating over a new strategic agreement. Iraq
