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 Syrian opposition bypasses Assad's communication blocks In the opposition-controlled regions of Syria, activists have established monitoring observatories to track the regime’s movements and coordinate military and humanitarian action. Syria
Demand rises for traditional Gazan bread Gazans continue to celebrate their ancient heritage by consuming traditional Palestinian breads. Palestine
Calls for alimony reform shake up Israeli rabbinical courts There are various proposals to amend Israel legal policies on divorce as citizens raise demands for greater nuance in child custody policies and alimony arrangements. Israel
Israel's patriotism police The Israeli right has been busy turning every reasonable action by the Zionist left into yet another instance of treason against the homeland. Palestine
Which US presidential candidate is good for Israel? When wondering what Israelis think makes a “good president” for the United States, it depends on whom you ask. Palestine
Khamenei's strategy puts US 'Trojan horse' out to pasture Iranian hard-liners apparently have dashed any hopes that the nuclear deal would clear the way for better relations between the United States and Iran. Iran
How solar energy is sparking new business in Egypt Egypt, which currently gets 90% of its energy from fossil fuels, is trying to take advantage of its plentiful sunshine through solar power. Egypt
How Iran will choose its next supreme leader A special group has been formed to review candidates for the next supreme leader. Iran
Turkish Kurds flee 'self-rule' neighborhoods Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast is sliding deeper into chaos as residents flee neighborhoods devastated from clashes between the security forces and Kurdish militants. Turkey
Why are some politicians afraid of this one Knesset member? Likud politicians fear the Hazan family and its influence within the party's Central Committee. Israel
As both sides rattle sabers, is Turkey on verge of civil war? Armored and aerial Turkish security forces and the PKK appear to be gearing up for a major offensive in the southeast, evacuating civilians, forbidding doctors from leaving and expanding morgues. Turkey
Why US is part of Middle East problem, not solution Joint List head Ayman Odeh, recently celebrated as one of Foreign Policy's top global leaders, argues in an interview with Al-Monitor that the US administration is an obstacle to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestine
