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
Memo to Kerry: Interim Agreement Best Bet in Mideast With US Secretary of State John Kerry about to shuttle across the region, Ben Caspit recommends he stop thinking in terms of “making history” and focus on achieving a gradual interim agreement. Palestine
Iraqi Panel Promotes 'Biden Plan' For Federal Iraq The key to securing Iraq’s political future is to place administrative responsibilities in the hands of the regions, and hold power centrally in Baghdad, writes Mushreq Abbas. Iraq
Is There a New 'Jordan Option'? A meeting in Jordan between King Abdullah II and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, soon after the visit of US President Barack Obama to Jordan, may signal a new role for Jordan, writes Akiva Eldar. Palestine
Hamas’ Changing Role in Egypt Hamas has seen improved ties with Cairo following the January 25 revolution and the election of Muslim Brotherhood-backed President Mohammed Morsi, writes Adnan Abu Amer. Palestine
Should the Turkish Government Break The Law For Peace? Although Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyep Erdogan insists that the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) should withdraw from Turkey without their weapons, this is not likely to happen, writes Kadri Gursel. Turkey
Attacks on Iraqi Media Call Press Freedom Into Question Following attacks on the offices of three different Iraqi newspapers on April 1, press freedom in Iraq is once again called into question, writes Mushreq Abbas. Iraq
Al-Qaeda Seen Expanding Influence in Lebanon Salafist and jihadist groups, including those affiliated with al-Qaeda, appear to be deepening their roots within Lebanon, writes Nasser Chararah. Lebanon
New Gaza Education Law Imposes Gender Segregation A law has been passed by the government of Hamas in Gaza requiring all students to be segregated by gender from the age of nine, Hazem Balousha reports. Palestine
Iraq Lagging in Foreign Investment Iraq is still struggling to attract foreign investors amid dated laws, political instability and a conservative society, writes Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Iraq
Drafting Israel's Ultra-Orthodox: Now or Never Former Knesset member Yohanan Plesner paved the way for historic change regarding drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews to the IDF, and expresses hope to see this mission completed in an interview with Mazal Mualem. Israel
Kurdistan Book FairShowcases Mideast Talent A book fair in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan's capital, showcased regional and international literary talent and served as a unifying event against a backdrop of violence and sectarianism, writes Abdel Hamid Zebari. Iraq
Tammam Salam Likely March 14 Candidate for Lebanese Premier Tammam Salam, a parliamentary representative from Beirut and a member of the March 14 coalition, looks to be a likely candidate for prime minister of Lebanon, Elie Hajj writes. Lebanon
