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
Will Sisi fulfill his 'Sinai promise'? Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has promised that a new development project will eliminate terrorism and revive the economy in the Sinai Peninsula, but past failures raise doubts about its effective implementation. Egypt
Have Passover food drives gotten out of control? Some claim the tradition of donating food to the poor so they can enjoy a generous Passover dinner has turned into a giant, wasteful charity enterprise. Israel
Why President Rivlin supports Israeli-Palestinian confederation President Reuven Rivlin has not abandoned his right-wing worldview in expressing a pragmatic and moral position in favor of an Israeli-Palestinian confederation. Palestine
How one Israeli Arab woman seeks to wipe out hatred Arab-Israeli activist Ghada Zoabi is trying to restore calm among the Arab population of Israel with a media campaign featuring conciliatory messages from community leaders. Palestine
How will Turkey's military use its restored standing? Does the collapse of the coup attempt case enhance Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s power, or is it the resumption of the cycle that governed civilian and military relations during the last decades? Turkey
Jerusalem churches: Don't veto Palestine resolution Middle East and US religious leaders chart path forward for two-state solution. Palestine
This big-mouthed puppet has enraged Egypt’s parliament Several Egyptian lawmakers have demanded that action be taken against Abla Fahita, a puppet that stars in a popular Egyptian TV show, after she makes remarks critical of the parliament's performance. Egypt
Syrian Kurds expand diplomatic network in Europe Despite Turkey’s blocking efforts, key Rojava actors PYD and YPG are opening office after office in Europe. Syria
Is Turkey's AKP cashing in on poverty? Some accuse the AKP of running a “vote-for-aid” deal with the country’s neediest citizens, yet at the same time Turkish opposition parties have failed to convince the public they are committed to supporting the poor. Turkey
Young members increasingly critical of Hamas Hamas faces mounting criticism from its young supporters in the Gaza Strip, yet is this a healthy sign of organizational maturity or the voice of inexperience? Palestine
Is Syria's 'fragile cease-fire' really a cease-fire at all? The Syrian regime resumed its airstrikes on residential neighborhoods of Aleppo, which could mean President Bashar al-Assad isn't concerned about finding a political solution to the war. Syria
Jerusalem at the center of Palestine-Israel naming dispute Within the scope of its Judaization policy, Israel has changed the names of several cities and places, including the Arabic name it uses to refer to Jerusalem. Palestine
