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
Hamas stifles Gazans' giggles The recent arrest of two satirists in Gaza points to increasing restrictions on freedom of expression due to Hamas' insecurity. Palestine
What will happen to Iraq’s Mandaeans? In an interview with Al-Monitor, the first Iraqi woman to head a religious endowment, Nadia F. Maghamiss, talks about her plan to empower women of all sects and about the future of the Mandaeans, one of Iraq’s many religious minorities. Iraq
Kurdish leader warns of civil war in Turkey Turkey’s security crackdown in the Kurdish-majority southeast could spill over to the country’s west and eventually become a civil war, warns Kurdish politician Kamuran Yuksek in an interview with Al-Monitor. Turkey
Why the world questions Turkey's stance on Islamic State Reasons are mounting to doubt Turkey's dedication to battling the Islamic State. Iraq
Israel's 'traitor' du jour The Israeli right wing considers former Foreign Ministry Director Alon Liel a traitor for advocating to pressure the Israeli government and advance voting in the United Nations in favor of a Palestinian state. Israel
The black flag over Israel's democracy Israelis are relinquishing their democracy through their silence and actions. Palestine
Israelis open homes, kitchens for unique dining experience The EatWith dining concept offers both tourists and local Israelis an intimate culinary experience in a variety of private homes. Israel
Will Rouhani's negotiations with Iran’s hard-liners succeed? With the difficult nuclear negotiations behind him, President Hassan Rouhani is now focused on domestic issues. Iran
Cairo river taxi project beginning to flow Authorities are working to clear clogs in Egypt’s long-awaited Nile transportation plan. Egypt
How one Coptic woman made Egyptian parliamentary history Mona Gaballah, who is the first Coptic woman to be directly elected to Egypt's parliament, talks to Al-Monitor about the challenges she has faced and how she intends to represent Coptic females. Egypt
Why Israel is keeping a close eye on Iran’s parliamentary elections Some Israeli security experts view the Iran nuclear deal and lifting of sanctions with cautious optimism, and consider upcoming elections a test case to see what path the Iranian people will choose. Israel
Babylonian temple now Islamic healing shrine The Mashhad al-Shams shrine, once a temple of the Babylonian sun god, has been turned into a mosque where the pious go in search of miracles. Iraq
