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
How Turkey's foreign policy may have lost it $25 billion in trade with Iran A preferential trade agreement between Turkey and Iran has failed to stop the decline in bilateral trade as regional political disputes between the two neighbors deepen. Turkey
Israeli Arabs take their message to the White House Arab Knesset member Ahmad Tibi (Joint List) tells Al-Monitor that Obama administration officials he met with in Washington are concerned about discrimination against Israeli Arabs. Palestine
Were these Knesset members wrong to meet with the families of attackers? Joint List Knesset members are shouting over the din to explain that their controversial visit to families of attackers was to discuss releasing the bodies of their sons and not a demonstration of solidarity. Israel
Party squabbles have Iraqi PM by the coattails A Cabinet shuffle by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is unlikely to assuage protesters demanding substantive government reform and the removal of corrupt officials. Iraq
How to overcome Iraq’s economic crisis Iraq's economic recovery requires strong institutions and infrastructure, but with no time to wait for stability, the state should provide financial support and administrative facilities to help small businesses grow now. Iraq
How Palestine plans to shift its media strategy In an interview with Al-Monitor, the newly appointed director of strategic communications in the Palestinian prime minister’s office, Jamal Dajani, promises to prioritize the Palestinian constituency and be accessible to the press. Palestine
Why the fall of this Syrian city raises red flags in Jordan The fall of Sheikh Miskin near the Jordanian border has sounded alarms in the kingdom, which is working to beef up security on the border and bracing for a new wave of refugees. Jordan
Is this the end of Turkish miracle? Turkey’s economic success story of the past decade has dramatically changed, becoming instead a tale of caution. Turkey
Undeterred by closures, Hamas still boasts of tunnel advantage Despite setbacks, Hamas has been digging more tunnels and continues to flaunt them as a strategic weapon against Israel in propaganda videos. Palestine
The death of the Arab Israeli dream In an interview with Al-Monitor, Knesset member Issawi Frej of Meretz accused the government of creating an atmosphere permitting the targeting and persecution of Arabs and for ignoring the problem of violence in Arab Israeli communities. Israel
Is Russia helping the US win in Syria? Russian air power and Syrian forces are pounding terrorists and their allies, while taking a terrible toll on civilians; keep Turkey out of Syria. Syria
Congress gets first-hand account of war against IS A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of Feb. 8. Iraq
