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
Stephen Hawking's 'Black Hole' In Boycotting Israel Akiva Eldar writes that Stephen Hawking’s decision to join those boycotting Israel is not only unjust — it's also unwise. Israel
Unrest Stirring Over Lapid's Budget The budget cuts did not spark mass participation during the demonstration on May 11, but Finance Minister Yair Lapid should not count on the public staying idle, writes Mazal Mualem. Israel
Will Turkey Respond To Reyhanli Bombs? Turkey is not likely to take unilateral action against Syria, Amberin Zaman argues. Syria
US-Russia Diplomacy on Syria Makes Comeback The US, Russia — and Iran — resurrect diplomacy on Syria; Iran and Israel should consider talking about Syria; Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Israel
Iran's Elections: 'Back to the Future' The candidacy of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani is a sign that the Iranian presidential elections next month are a quest for both stability and change, writes Ali Hashem. Iran
Explosive Message on Turkey’s Border Cengiz Candar doesn’t expect Turkey’s response to the Reyhanli blasts, which killed 46 people, to go beyond tough rhetoric, despite its accusation that Syrian intelligence was behind the attack. Syria
Naftali Bennett Brings New Start For Israel's National Religious Party Will the young leader of the National Religious Party, Naftali Bennett, be able to overcome the old rabbinical establishment and restore his party's spirit of openness, wonders Nadav Perry. Israel
Crisis in Algeria's Health Sector May Affect Political Stability The health sector in Algeria has been hit by a massive wave of strikes which, if ignored by the government, could spread and affect the country’s stability, writes Kaci Racelma. Business
Islamic Jihad: 'We Will Not Accept A State on the 1967 Borders' In the third article of a four-part exclusive series, Asmaa al-Ghoul analyzes the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement and its relationship with other Palestinian resistance groups. Palestine
Visit by Egyptian Cleric to Gaza Divides Palestinian Leaders The visit to Gaza of Yusuf al-Qaradawi, head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, won praise from Hamas, but received strong criticism from Fatah, which accused the cleric of undermining Palestinian unity. Palestine
Lebanese Prime Minister-Designate Seeks to Break Deadlock Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam is considering new options to break the deadlock on his forming a new government, writes Jean Aziz. Lebanon
Rafsanjani RegistersFor High-Stakes Iranian Election The final day of registration for candidates in Iran's June 14 presidential election brings out familiar faces, including former president Hashemi Rafsanjani, writes Mohammad Shabani. Iran
