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
The Takeaway: December 11, 2019 Ankara buys oil from sworn enemy, but keeps leverage; Assad would talk to Erdogan; Iran’s Reformists expect to lose big to hard-liners; Jordan hosts Global Masters e-sport tournament; and more! Originals
Rouhani set for Japan visit to salvage Iran deal A visit by Iran's president to Japan is being finalized as Tokyo intensifies mediation efforts in search of a settlement to Tehran-Washington tensions and an end to the stalemate over the Iran nuclear deal. Iran
White House persuades Congress to ease up on Saudi Arabia The White House convinced Congress to water down a key defense bill by removing language penalizing Saudi Arabia for the Yemen war and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Saudi Arabia
As EU mulls response, Ankara doubles down on Libya accords Facing EU sanctions over gas drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, officials in Ankara have reaffirmed plans to develop contested gas fields and assist the Tripoli government as Greek officials seek international support. Turkey
London summit exposes Turkey’s isolation, lack of clout in NATO Seasoned diplomats say despite Ankara’s tarnished image in the alliance, Turkey has confirmed its Western orientation. Syria
Israel must set conditions for Hamas over Palestinian elections Israel should agree to the Palestinian demand of enabling elections also in East Jerusalem, but it should not agree for terror group Hamas to participate in the electoral process. Palestine
What’s behind Abbas’ demand for voting stations in Jerusalem? The insistence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Israel enabling East Jerusalem residents to vote in the upcoming Palestinian elections might hide his fear of a Hamas victory. Palestine
Palestinians plan legal steps to stop new Hebron settlement A controversial proposal for a new settlement in the heart of Hebron calls for bulldozing a long-barricaded Palestinian vegetable market to build new shops and housing for Israelis. Palestine
Cairo hosts Islamic Jihad summit as incentive for truce talks Egypt has hosted critical meetings for Hamas and now the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's political bureau both to promote its own role as mediator and as a reward for participating in cease-fire agreements. Palestine
Algeria answers calls for fundamental change with old guard candidates Turnout to Algeria’s elections could be as low as 10%, and any winner is likely to be weak, unable to impose policy without compromise and negotiation. Algeria
Iraqi political blocs struggle to meet deadline to replace outgoing PM As the constitutional deadline arrives, Iraqi political parties seem unable to select a new prime minister. Iraq
