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
Israel gets its own 'Making a Murderer' series Israeli TV producers have turned a 10-year-old murder case into a TV show that has captivated Israelis, and worried them. Israel
Will Fatah split? A new current has emerged within the Fatah movement with the objective of bringing about reforms, which raises questions on whether or not its founders plan to defect from Fatah’s main branch. Palestine
Why Erdogan can't end PKK war Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s personal agenda precludes a negotiated settlement with the Kurds, and a military solution remains just as out of reach. Turkey
West takes Erdogan to task over press freedom During the Turkish president's US visit, US President Barack Obama openly rebuked Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while Germany told him his undemocratic strong-arming won't work in Europe. Turkey
Why one Israeli minister always feels persecuted Interior Minister Aryeh Deri conveyed that he will not launch a campaign against the discrimination of Mizrahi, following the investigation against him. But can we believe him, when by saying this, he just launched the campaign? Israel
Obama administration steps into Western Sahara minefield The agency is close to awarding a $1 million grant for the Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara. North Africa
Jordan blocks 50,000 Syrian refugees near border Jordan cites security concerns as it blocks thousands of Syrian refugees at its border and leaves them stranded in the rocky desert. Jordan
Egypt’s 'Indiana Jones' says new theory on King Tut’s tomb is wrong In an interview with Al-Monitor, famed Egyptologist and former Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass discusses the problems facing antiquities in Egypt and expresses skepticism over reports of an additional chamber in King Tut’s tomb. Egypt
Iran looks down under for new opportunities Eager to diversify its foreign policy, Iran under President Hassan Rouhani is maneuvering to reach out to Southeast Asian nations as well as Australia and New Zealand. Iran
Will Saudi block Iranians from hajj this year? Iran claims that Saudi officials have refused to issue visas for Iranian officials in order to conduct preparatory talks for Iranian pilgrims. Saudi Arabia
Nowhere to run: Palestine marathoners race on short track In Bethlehem’s fourth annual marathon, thousands of Palestinian and international runners competed on a half-marathon track in a stark illustration of the tight restrictions on Palestinian movement. Palestine
Is Turkey's lax oversight keeping PKK flush with funds? While the Turkish public is asked to mobilize against PKK terror, are the government’s efforts to curtail PKK financing and money laundering enough? Turkey
