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
Turkish government fears compensation claims for Armenian genocide A resolution passed by the US House of Representatives recognizing the 1915 Armenian genocide has stirred up Turkish concerns of Armenian demands for compensation. Turkey
Jordanian diplomatic gambit wins citizens' release from Israel Jordan’s decision to recall its ambassador to Israel seems to have produced impressive results in getting two Jordanian detainees back home. Israel
What messages lie behind Assad’s visit to southern Idlib? Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s recent visit to the front line in southern Idlib province raised controversy and questions among opposition forces about Assad's goals and what messages he might have been sending — and to whom. Syria
With Qatar’s money, Israeli gas set to bring Gaza light Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has finally given his consent for Qatar to pay to extend an Israeli gas pipeline to the Gaza Strip's power station — a project that's expected to ameliorate the electricity crisis there while boosting Qatari influence in Gaza and giving Hamas standing as a successful mediator. Qatar
Israelis are losing trust in the police The trust that Israelis have in law enforcement is showing signs of sharp decline, with the police receiving the lowest marks of all the various state agencies. Israel
Syrian Kurds OK US-led oil mission The commander of the Pentagon-backed Syrian Democratic Forces has signed off to help the Donald Trump administration protect the war-torn country’s oil fields, even amid an ongoing Turkish incursion the group has lobbied the United States to stop. Syria
The Takeaway: November 6, 2019 Incursion fallout special: Frustrated Assad willing to talk peace with Turkey; Kurds play the angles with Washington and Damascus; Erdogan’s war a winner at home; Trump’s “betrayal” of Kurds plays in US public opinion; Tulsi Gabbard calling out Congress on support for endless wars … Bonus: Lebanon’s artists align with protesters and more. Originals
Russia, Egypt look to boost military ties Russia and Egypt held military exercises as a token of Moscow's increased interest in expanding cooperation with Cairo. Egypt
Three options for Benny Gantz to compose a government As his deadline to form a government approaches, Blue and White party head Benny Gantz is left with three main options before returning the mandate to the president. Israel
Penalties loom as lawyer for Turkey's Halkbank delays US court proceedings Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank may face financial penalties and further political blowback after once again refusing to recognize criminal charges in a New York court this week. Turkey
'Eggupation' breeds revolutionary thinking in Beirut The reputation of the Egg, a cinema in downtown Beirut, has gone from an eyesore to an incubator for new thinking. Lebanon
Iran's hard-liners say fresh nuclear deal breaches don't go far enough In yet another step away from its nuclear deal commitments, Iran has resumed uranium enrichment at a contentious facility. But the move was too little to appease hard-liners at home. Iran
