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
23 years and millions of dollars later, will the Grand Egyptian Museum ever open? The Grand Egyptian Museum project has been stalled since its announcement in 1992, although the Egyptian authorities believe the museum will boost tourism. Egypt
Rouhani's chief of staff: More US-Iran anti-terrorism cooperation possible The Iranian president's chief of staff, Mohammad Nahavandian, tells Al-Monitor that the implementation of the nuclear deal will be a test of the West's sincerity. Regional
Will there be a third intifada? Despite growing tensions with Israel, Palestinians must decide whether to preserve the fragile rule of order and security in the West Bank or launch a third intifada. Palestine
Netanyahu, Abbas rush to meet, but Americans say 'not so fast' The Obama administration is not keen on a summit meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Mahmoud Abbas, fearing that without proper preparations, it could upset the already fragile situation. Palestine
Congress pursues 'death by 1,000 cuts' strategy against Iran deal A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of Sept. 28. Syria
Will US, Russia find common ground in Syria? A common enemy, the Islamic State, should be the first step in an expanded international coalition; does Iraqi Kurdistan face the prospect of "administrative breakup"? Iraq
Israeli culture minister decries Western culture Culture Minister Miri Regev belittled Western education to appeal to her constituency, but these populist declarations contradict the social mobility achieved by Mizrahi women through university studies, including her own. Israel
Lebanese foreign minister: We cannot be the only ones receiving refugees In an interview with Al-Monitor, Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Gebran Bassil talks about the Syrian refugee crisis and the effects of the presidential vacancy on his country. Lebanon
Rouhani blasts Saudi 'ineptitude' for hajj tragedy In a wide-ranging conversation with senior representatives of US media, Hassan Rouhani said the nuclear deal, if implemented, could be “something to build on” in US-Iran relations and efforts to resolve other regional conflicts, but offered no details. Saudi Arabia
Iranian officials call for change in hajj administration After a stampede that killed at least 131 Iranians and with more than 300 still missing, Iranian officials have called for a review to change the administration of hajj pilgrimages for it to be put under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Saudi Arabia
Is Iraqi Kurdistan splitting apart ... again? Political and economic tensions are chipping away at the autonomy, stability and unity of Iraqi Kurdistan as diverse local populations are calling for political reforms and an end to corruption. Iraq
What Israel should do about Iran Israel, if it fully takes into account the Mideast's yawning Sunni-Shiite divide, could benefit from reconsidering its point of view on Iran. Palestine
