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
Is Russia warming up to the Houthis? Russia has recently raised its profile in the conflict in Yemen both by endorsing UN-led peace efforts and by re-engaging with the Houthis, with whom Moscow has a long and twisted relationship. Yemen
Erdogan displays political prowess in deflecting Trump threat In response to Trump's tweet threatening to destroy Turkey economically if it attacked the Kurds, Erdogan focused on the other half of the tweet: a buffer zone along the Syrian border. Syria
How this royal portrait boosted Qatari national identity A sense of national identity has been growing steadily in Qatar since the Saudi-led blockade began in June 2017, and it seems as though an image of the Qatari emir has helped it along the way. Qatar
Iranian FM ‘maneuvers’ in Iraq as rivalry with US heats up Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has embarked on an extensive visit to neighboring Iraq at a time when US-Iran competition in the country is reaching levels not seen before. Iraq
Erdogan's plans in Iraqi Kurdistan may backfire The news that Nechirvan Barzani will not continue as prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq is causing Turkey to worry that the new KRG Cabinet will not be formed of allies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Iraq
Why some Turkish media rejoice at negative economic data Glossing over unpleasant economic news has become a notable trend in the Turkish media as the country heads to local elections in the grips of economic woes. Turkey
Will Erdogan wind up alone after alienating Arabs? Following Trump’s decision to pull out of Syria, Ankara fears isolation after years of maneuvering to be an effective player in the Middle East. Originals
Hamas-Fatah tension takes its toll on reconciliation Analysts fear the escalating tension between Hamas and Fatah will lead to an irreversible separation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Palestine
Fate of Algeria’s missing migrants sparks international concern A group of 120 individuals from Syria, Yemen and Palestine disappeared last month in Algeria, and now rights groups are calling on the authorities to reveal their fate. Algeria
Outgoing IDF chief of staff praised as calm, resilient leader Outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot earned the respect of a wide spectrum of Israelis by sticking to his values, leaving his ego at home and keeping out of politics. Israel
