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
Will Egypt heed US threat of sanctions for Russian jet deal? A $2 billion arms deal between Russia and Egypt has caused the United States to warn Egypt against acquiring Russia’s Su-35 fighter jets, raising questions about whether Egypt will carry on with the deal. Egypt
Palestinians condemn Israeli closures of institutions in Jerusalem Israeli authorities are cracking down on Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians argue is aimed at obliterating the Palestinian character of the holy city amid calls to the international community to protect Palestinians and their institutions. Palestine
Despite stepped-up military actions, Turkey still faces jihadi threats Ankara’s past haphazard policies complicate crackdown on IS; Iran hard-liners gain from protests; Syrian Kurds may not give up sales of Syrian oil to Damascus. Iraq
Opinion polls paint a gloomy turnout in upcoming Palestinian general elections All eyes are on the latest polls in the Palestinian territories as more factions agree to hold the parliamentary and presidential elections in February. Palestine
Russia gains influence in Palestine at US expense Russian and Palestinian delegations signed several bilateral agreements in the fields of development, trade, education and energy, among others. Originals
Palestinian Authority, UAE may be ready to reconcile Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is preparing to visit the UAE after years of estrangement to offer condolences for a death in the ruling family and perhaps to pursue other goals. United Arab Emirates
Egypt focuses on developing Africa With the goal of promoting investment opportunities in Africa and Egypt and signing development and investment agreements, Egypt organized the Africa 2019: Investment for Africa Forum, as President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi holds the presidency of the African Union. Egypt
Rattled by Pompeo's settlement stance, PA turns to international community The Palestinian Authority is seeking international support against the Israeli settlements in response to the US secretary of state's statement that the settlements aren't necessarily illegal. Palestine
The Takeaway: November 27, 2019 Highlights: Iraq protests sharpen clash between Khamenei and Sistani; Iran’s cultural guardians scramble over porn documentary; Pakistan’s defense diplomacy picks up with Tehran; and the Iraqi tuk-tuk as our cool thing. Originals
Pentagon rethinks how to protect diplomats, aid workers in Mideast war zones The Pentagon's push for more authority to provide security to diplomats and aid workers in conflict zones could allow US aid to penetrate deeper into war zones. Yemen
Iran hosts Taliban delegation to talk Afghan peace Iran is bolstering its foothold in the Afghan peace process amid the vacuum triggered by the US suspension of talks with the Taliban. United States
Will Iran’s 50% gas price hike pay off for the economy? Iran’s cutbacks on gas subsidies must be accompanied by a crackdown on corruption if they are to yield real benefits for the government. Iran
