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
Iran-India energy cooperation opens new horizons While the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline may sound the death knell to the Iran-Pakistan-India project, the Middle East to India Deepwater Pipeline may deliver Iranian gas to India through an undersea pipeline. Oman
Defections threaten Jordan’s Brotherhood The recent resignations within Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood threaten further fragmentation within the group unless serious reforms are carried out. Jordan
Arrest of Palestinian journalist reflection of 'political chaos' The arrest of Palestinian journalist Salim Sweidan and his detention for four days has exposed a broken legal system where understandings are replacing the rule of law. Palestine
FSA adviser: IS cannot be eliminated without us In an Al-Monitor interview, Osama Abu Zeid, legal adviser for the Free Syrian Army, discusses the FSA's return to the forefront in light of Russia’s military intervention in the Syrian war. Syria
Can Abbas bring hope to desperate young Palestinians? Demonstrating against the Israeli occupation, young Palestinians have also been pointing a finger at President Mahmoud Abbas, who has finally addressed them and their problems in his latest speeches. Palestine
Israeli fashion gets tactical Business is booming for Israeli clothes manufacturers that have developed bullet- and knife-resistant fabrics and apparel, though they may not all deliver what they promise. Palestine
Lebanon's banks to pay price of sanctions on Hezbollah New US sanctions against Hezbollah are adding pressure to Lebanon’s already struggling banking sector, further burdening the country’s economy. Lebanon
Was Zahran Alloush really a moderate leader? Some have described the late Jaish al-Islam leader Zahran Alloush as a moderate leader, although his fiery anti-Shiite and anti-democracy statements indicate otherwise. Iraq
Gaza scrap collectors finally back in business Following years of interruption due to Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip, the scrap trade there has resumed, sparking economic hope. Palestine
Does Bibi limit rights to those who are 'Israeli all the way'? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tied "loyalty" to the state to budget allocations for improvements in minority communities. Palestine
Knesset's public image in free fall The Israeli public has lost trust in the Knesset as its members advance anti-democratic legislation and provoke each other into embarrassing public altercations. Israel
Egypt’s parliamentary 'circus' will not be going live The Egyptian parliament apparently is so embarrassed by some members’ behavior that it has temporarily banned live media broadcasts of its sessions. Egypt
