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
Are we witnessing ‘Syrianization’ of Turkey? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims “no difference” between Islamic State and Syrian Kurdish group backed by the United States; Syrian opposition groups reject UN talks; did Netanyahu ignore warnings about an intifada? Palestine
Is the military the Achilles’ heel of the Turkish government? After years of arrest and imprisonment, released officers of the Turkish Armed Forces seek justice and raise red flags about the future of the military. Turkey
Europe seen as wild card as Iran nuclear deal goes into effect Critics of the nuclear agreement with Iran urge US President Barack Obama to set firm limits on international sanctions relief early on. Iran
The rise of Persian-Arab racial tensions The recent spate of deadly incidents involving Iranians during the hajj leads to ballooning Persian-Arab racism on the Web. Saudi Arabia
Is Ankara putting out false information about peace rally bombings? Despite ample intelligence warnings, the bombers of the Ankara peace rally were able to accomplish their mission, assisted not only by security failures and negligence but also by the political climate. Syria
Meet the man out to save Gaza's antiquities Nafez Abed, one of Gaza’s most prolific sculptors, has been restoring Palestinian artifacts for almost 35 years, but his work receives limited recognition in the funding-deprived Gaza Strip, where tourists are rare. Palestine
Who is leading the intifada? Two weeks into the outbreak of security clashes between Palestinians and settlers in Jerusalem, Palestinian factions have yet to step in and lead the popular uprising. Palestine
Israeli minister: We must strengthen control over East Jerusalem In an interview with Al-Monitor, Likud Minister Zeev Elkin called on the government to direct more resources to East Jerusalem and sanction Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah if they continue their incitement against Israel. Palestine
Why Syrian opposition rejected the UN's plan for Syria The Syrian political and military opposition factions have shown, in a first-of-its-kind movement, unity in rejecting Staffan de Mistura’s plan to form committees that would work with both the opposition and the Syrian regime. Syria
Jerusalem’s intifada takes its toll A political process that addresses the national issues of Jerusalem’s Palestinians and reaches permanent understandings of the administration of holy sites is crucially necessary in light of the ongoing wave of violence. Palestine
Islamist party to boycott Egyptian parliamentary election The Islamist Strong Egypt Party has called for a boycott of the 2015 parliamentary elections, but critics say the move will not hurt the legitimacy of the new parliament. Egypt
Old City, new problems: Palestinian merchants lament decrease in tourist revenue The recent attacks and demonstrations in Jerusalem have affected the economy, according to Palestinian merchants in the Old City. Palestine
