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
Iran's Zarif returns to work after Rouhani rejects resignation Mohammad Javad Zarif has resumed work as Iran's top diplomat after President Hassan Rouhani rejected his abrupt resignation, though the debate continues over what forced the foreign minister to bid farewell in the first place. Iran
Erdogan’s threats to replace elected mayors could backfire Turkey's president is reviving a bitter debate by threatening to nullify local election results in municipalities that elect mayors from pro-Kurdish parties. Turkey
Israel hopes Zarif resignation reveals cracks in Iran's Syria policy Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to express his glee when Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif offered his resignation, but what does it mean for Tehran's strategy in Syria? Israel
Egyptian-Iranian relations: Where are they now? It's often hard to tell whether Cairo and Tehran will embrace or break up. Legacy: Gulf
Are Palestinian police protecting settlers? Israeli media report that Palestinian plainclothes policemen were deployed to protect settlers from Palestinian citizens, which the Palestinian police denies. Palestine
Civil marriage resurfaces as hot topic in Lebanon’s politics Newly appointed Minister of Interior Raya al-Hassan recently said she will engage a serious dialogue on civil marriage in Lebanon, which sparked backlash from religious authorities. Lebanon
Israel's radical right uncorked Now that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has granted legitimacy to the Kahanist Otzma Yehudit, its members have not missed an opportunity to disseminate their racist ideology, including in the nation's schools and television stations. Israel
Is Netanyahu coordinating with Trump over 'deal of the century’? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes that publication of the US Mideast peace deal just after the elections would attract public attention away from an imminent indictment against him. Palestine
Erdogan threatens to dismiss mayors seen as PKK-linked President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed PKK militants had infiltrated political parties in order to rig next month's elections, and vowed to dismiss any mayors determined by Ankara to support the outlawed group. Turkey
'Iran has one foreign minister': How Zarif is turning claimed weakness into strength The debacle surrounding the apparent resignation of Iran’s foreign minister is centered on a desire to refocus the diplomatic power of the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Iran
For the love of Mary and hymn: Muslim singer perks up ears Dalia Ihab Younis shrugs off critics who find it odd or somehow unacceptable that a Muslim woman in a hijab sings hymns venerating the Virgin Mary. Egypt
Iran in grip of massive backlash over Zarif’s sudden resignation The surprise resignation announcement by Iran's foreign minister has sparked debate on what pushed him over the edge. Iran
