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
Is the US giving up on Israel? The unusually sharp tone of US Ambassador Daniel Shapiro's criticisms of Israeli policies toward the Palestinians has many wondering what it means for the future. Palestine
How long can Saudi Arabia afford Yemen war? The war in Yemen may prove just as dangerously costly for Saudi Arabia, where an economic downturn threatens its political system, as for Yemen, whose economy can only start to be revived when it ends. Saudi Arabia
Ramallah goes organic A popular Tuesday health food market in Ramallah is helping marginalized women and young farmers sell organic produce. Palestine
Can Iraq curb tribal disputes? Tribal conflicts in Iraq are complicating the struggle against the Islamic State, threatening to thin the central government's security capacities. Iraq
How the Israeli government funds right-wing groups In response to the "transparency bill" designed to hamstring watchdog and human rights associations, opposition Knesset member Tamar Zandberg has initiated a bill requiring all associations to disclose their public funding sources. Israel
How new Israeli settlements will lead to more violence The United States, European Union and Palestinians have condemned an Israeli plan to build a settlement that could be the tipping point toward more violence and terror. Palestine
US lets two Iran banks off UN sanctions list The United States, in a confidence-building gesture with Iran, did not block a Venezuelan request to delist two Iranian banks from a UN Security Council sanctions list. Iran
Will Iran, Saudi Arabia patch things up? Amid rising tensions following Saudi Arabia’s move to cut diplomatic relations with Iran, the question appears of whether the time has come for efforts to bridge the divide — or whether it’s too soon. Saudi Arabia
Khamenei questions US commitment to nuke deal As implementation of the nuclear deal begins, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that the United States may not live up to its obligations. Iran
Lebanon’s Christian foes become friends Michel Aoun and Samir Geagea, the two Lebanese Christian leaders, finally turn the page on their historical bloody feud and have agreed on backing Aoun for president. Lebanon
Ankara plays favorites with Iraqi, Syrian Turkmens Ankara could face a nationalist backlash at home for favoring the Kurds over the Turkmens in Iraq. Iraq
Will Renaissance Dam flood Egypt's Mediterranean coast? The author of a current study says Ethiopia must agree to change the Renaissance Dam's design to prevent serious environmental repercussions for itself, Egypt and Sudan. Egypt
