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
Netanyahu’s catch-22 over anti-BDS campaign Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will soon have to decide whether to use the anti-BDS law he supported to prevent the entry into Israel of US Democratic congressional members Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. Palestine
Kuwait charts new path in changing region Kuwait is carefully positioning itself among its Gulf neighbors as a regional trading hub looking to enter the Chinese and Asian markets, while maintaining its regional relationships and alliance with the West. Legacy: Gulf
Gaza’s clothing sector sizes up thanks to Hamas-Israel truce For the first time since the Israeli blockade on Gaza began, textile sales are enjoying an uptick. Palestine
Egypt extends state of emergency for ninth time Egypt has been under a state of emergency for about 2½ years now, and some experts say this goes against the Egyptian Constitution. Egypt
Palestinian Authority looks to cryptocurrency to scrap shekel Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh believes the Palestinian economy's future lies in encrypted digital currency, though there are plenty of pitfalls. Palestine
Would Israel’s left succeed in uniting ahead of elections? The left-wing Meretz and Labor parties know that running on one ticket could garner more votes, but have failed so far to reach an agreement. Israel
PM Shtayyeh discovers genuine love for Palestine in Iraq The state visit by a Palestinian delegation headed by Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh to Iraq appears to have produced a number of economic and political breakthroughs that will contribute to Palestinian economic independence. Palestine
Can Russia, the US find new basis for cooperation in Syria? A US-Russian quid pro quo in Syria may still be possible if the parties get down to the nitty-gritty of their respective interests in the country. Legacy: Gulf
Intel: US boots Turkey from F-35 program after Russian arms deal The Donald Trump administration said today it would formally kick Turkey out of the F-35 program after Ankara took delivery of a Russian air defense system that could threaten the American fighter’s stealth capabilities. Turkey
Israel and Hamas agree: Gaza to soon get new hospital Israel and Hamas are on the same page for a change, with the two agreeing on the erection of a field hospital near the Erez crossing to enable international medical teams to help address some of the health care problems plaguing Gaza residents. Qatar
What is behind Likud mayors’ secular moves? Are the secular initiatives — operating buses on the Sabbath — by the mayors of Ramat Gan and Modi'in, both from the Likud, meant to neutralize Avigdor Liberman’s claim that the Likud is bowing to the ultra-Orthodox? Israel
Gunmen kill Turkish diplomat in Erbil A restaurant shooting that left a Turkish diplomat and an Iraqi civilian dead has regional leaders rushing to Erbil to manage the fallout. Iraq
