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
Rouhani banks on small businesses to generate big growth Even though they constitute more than 85% of businesses in the country, Iran's small- to medium-sized enterprises generate a mere 14.7% of GDP and less than 30% of employment, leading the administration to focus on boosting this crucial sector. Iran
One year later, Rouhani still selling nuclear deal to Iranians Iranian officials are urging patience in seeing the full results of the comprehensive nuclear deal. Iran
Western Sahara's Polisario Front elects leader The Sahrawi people have a new chief and a persistent determination to establish recognition from Morocco, one way or the other. Algeria
Israel’s Africa ambitions highlight Egypt's absence While Egyptian-Israeli relations are improving, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Africa could negatively affect Egypt's historical role in the African continent. Egypt
Are Turkey’s efforts to combat foreign fighters too late? Since the June 28 airport attack in Istanbul, Turkey has been adopting measures against Salafist foreign terrorist fighters, but many observers wonder whether these anti-criminal measures aren't too late in dealing with root causes of Salafist terror. Turkey
Erdogan’s citizenship offer fans flames of anti-Syrian sentiment in Turkey Turkey's polarized public appears to have found a common cause against a proposed offer of citizenship and preferential treatment for Syrian refugees. Syria
What do Palestinians think about Egypt's peace initiative? Hamas leaders are unhappy about the Egyptian initiative, which positions Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as Israel's only interlocutor, but fear to express loudly their objections. Palestine
How Tunisia’s security agencies are confronting infiltration attempts Terrorist organizations in Tunisia have recruited policemen and soldiers within its ranks to obtain information on the security forces and use it in attacks, which has prompted the Tunisian authorities to fortify security agencies to abort infiltration attempts. Tunisia
The West Bank's growing gun problem Faced with an alarming arms proliferation, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has instructed his security forces to strike with an "iron fist" to prevent further bloodshed that could plunge the West Bank into complete security chaos. Palestine
Inheritance plan could be game-changer for Egyptian women A draft law before Egypt’s parliament could help solve the problem of women being deprived of their inheritance, at least in legal terms, but overcoming traditions and customs will not be easy. Egypt
New poll underlines Iranian disappointment with US, nuclear deal A year after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed, most Iranians still support it, but a large majority lacks confidence that the United States will carry out its obligations and believes Washington is trying to prevent other countries from normalizing trade relations with the Islamic Republic. Iran
Why Iraq needs the Popular Mobilization Units in fight against IS Given the critical role of the PMU to date, its participation in upcoming battles against IS seems inevitable. Iraq
![Palestinian teenagers handle a nine millimeter semi-automatic pistol in the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem January 4, 2001. The Dheisheh refugee camp hosts thousands of Palestinian refugees since the 1948 Israeli occupation. [Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat began consulting Arab leaders in Cairo on Thursday on U.S. President Bill Clinton's peace proposals before announcing whether he accepts them. ] - RTXK7RJ](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2016/07/RTXK7RJ.jpg/RTXK7RJ.jpg?h=5021389d&itok=mIEOk2j_)
