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
Why the Damascus Gate is more important than ever Over the past few months, East Jerusalem's Damascus Gate has become a focal point for young Palestinians seeking to kill Israeli security officers and to avenge their friends. Palestine
Netanyahu's bag of tricks to deflect criticism The "suspension bill" targeting Arab-Israeli parliamentarians is yet another element in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy of incitement to deflect attention from international criticism of his policies. Palestine
How one Hamas leader intends to reconcile with Fatah Hamas leader Ahmed Yousef speaks to Al-Monitor about the movement’s relations with Fatah, Iran and the international community. Palestine
Will aid deliveries to Syria help advance peace talks? The United States said it would meet with Russia in Geneva on Feb. 19 for consultations on how to implement a Syria truce, as the United Nations said Feb. 17 that it was able to deliver 100 trucks of humanitarian aid to five besieged Syrian towns. Syria
Can Bieber fever rescue Turkey's tourism trade? Turkey's tourism business has checked out without paying its tab, and officials are considering enlisting US celebrities like Justin Bieber to help counteract the effects of terrorist attacks and Russian sanctions. Turkey
Will Egypt's 'luxury tax' hurt everyday citizens? Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a decree raising customs tariffs on so-called luxury products, a new development that some say threatens the country with a potential wave of inflation. Egypt
Iran denies US gave money in exchange for prisoners The spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry has denied accusations by conservative figures and media that the prisoner swap in January was related to the release of $1.7 billion. Iran
In last interview, former UN Secretary-General defends Cairo's crackdowns In an interview with Al-Monitor a week before passing away at the age of 93, former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali spoke about the challenges of ensuring full freedoms amid a precarious security situation. Egypt
Does Israel's new 'suspension bill' suppress democracy? While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hails the "suspension bill" authorizing the Knesset to suspend Knesset members in certain cases, critics claim that the proposal is anti-democratic. Israel
Why Turkey is losing hope in Syrian border town of Azaz Turkey is engaged in two battles to keep the Azaz-Marea line open after losing the Aleppo corridor. Syria
Zoroastrianism in Iraq seeks official recognition Al-Monitor interviewed Zoroastrian spiritual leader in Iraq Peer Luqman Haji, who spoke about the resurgence of this millennia-old religion, the challenges and the need for tolerance in a region plagued by growing religious radicalism. Iraq
Israeli air force debates purchase of F-35 fighter planes As the Syrian, Lebanese and Turkish skies grow ever more crowded with Russian, American, British and Saudi fighter jets, Israel has decided to purchase more F-35s of its own. Israel
