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
Israeli Concept of 'State Land' Needs Another Look The belief that some Israeli settlements have been built on "state land" is based on a misinterpretation of past land-ownership practices, writes Lorenzo Kamel. Palestine
State Failure Behind Iraqi Sectarian Violence Failures in post-invasion state-building are fueling ongoing sectarian strife in Iraq, writes Narav Salahaddin. Iraq
Syria’s Music Wars Omar Adam Sayfo describes how both the Syrian government and the rebels have employed music as a weapon in the Syrian conflict. Syria
Israel's Moral Responsibility In Syria Israeli silence on the abduction of the two archbishops in Syria underlines the indifference of the Israeli public toward the fate of the Syrian people, writes Akiva Eldar. Israel
Report Highlights Corruption In Palestinian Institutions The Coalition for Accountability and Integrity has issued its report for 2013, focusing on corruption and the lack of oversight in official, private and civil Palestinian institutions, reports Hazem Balousha. Palestine
Palestinian Christians Struggle With Israeli Occupation Father Johnny Abu Khalil, a Catholic priest from Nablus, recounts the challenges faced by Palestinian Christians. Palestine
West Bank Villages Face Shortage Of Water While Settlements Thrive Palestinian villages such as Al Hadidiya in the Jordan Valley are suffering from chronic water shortages, write Layan Masri and Loor Awwad. Palestine
In Memoriam: Lebanon Loses Beloved Musician Imane Homsy Lebanon's foremost qanun musician, Imane Homsy, has passed away, leaving behind her a legacy of musical innovation, writes Elie Hajj. Lebanon
Do Israeli Airstrikes Play Into Assad's Hands? In an interview with Shlomi Eldar, professor Kais Firro, an authority on Syria and Lebanon, claims that the Syrian regime can finally argue that Israel is the puppet master behind the uprising. Israel
Do the US, Iran Agree on Red Line For Syrian Chemical Weapons? The US and Israel escalate the war in Syria; Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, Khaled Meshaal; and Al-Monitor launches Iran Pulse. Israel
Restoring the 'Past Glory' Of the Israeli Shas Party Aryeh Deri, the newly re-appointed head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, inherits a sacred movement which has lost its support base, writes Mazal Mualem. Israel
Syria Calls Attack by Israel 'Declaration of War' Ali Hashem reports on reactions from Syria and Hezbollah, blaming Israel for the attacks on Damascus that represent an escalation of the Syria war. Israel
