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
EU has new plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace, but will it work? The EU is contemplating a three-pronged plan that includes curbing settlement expansion though labeling goods, advancing a UN resolution and organizing a regional peace conference. Palestine
Israel fears return of Persian Empire According to a senior IDF source, Israel's major concern should be the Iran-Shiite-Hezbollah axis and Iran gaining regional influence and power after the nuclear agreement. Israel
Glick continues his campaign to bring Jews to Temple Mount Talking to Al-Monitor, activist Yehuda Glick, who preaches for Jews to ascend the Temple Mount, says that following his yearslong activity, thousands of Jews have visited the compound and many rabbis have stopped being opposed to it. Palestine
Temple Mount's contentious history While some Palestinians use the Temple Mount for political means, denying its Jewish history, Jewish far-right extremists use the Temple Mount as a means of provocation. Palestine
Why more and more secular Israelis are fasting on Yom Kippur Recent studies show that more Israelis are fasting on Yom Kippur not so much as a religious ritual, but as a way to reconnect with their Jewish identity or create their own spiritual space. Israel
After escaping Holocaust, thousands of Israeli survivors struggle with poverty, loneliness Reports indicate that many Holocaust survivors not only live in poverty, but also suffer from loneliness. Israel
Female athletes keep ball rolling in Palestine Many female soccer players in Palestine are fighting an uphill battle given their towns’ traditions, which discourage women from participating in athletics. Palestine
Standstill persists in Lebanon Lebanon has been without a president for over a year now, and the current international pressure to hold elections is not going over well with the country's term-extending parliament. Lebanon
Iraq tries to help shake stigma of orphans The Iraqi government and society must do more to end "honor killings" of women who give birth out of wedlock and to provide care and compassion for the children left behind. Iraq
Israeli journalist archives lives of Palestinian citizens Jewish Israeli photojournalist Miki Kratsman has been posting photos of Palestinians he took while covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for over 30 years, and asking about what happened to them. Palestine
Is this the next movie to be banned by Egypt? Al-Azhar says it opposes the Iranian movie “Muhammad: The Messenger of God” because of representations of the prophet, but some suspect political motives behind its reaction. Egypt
Pressure shifts to Iran to implement nuclear deal No sanctions to be lifted until Iran puts in place unprecedented nuclear safeguards; White House spokesman calls out critics of Syria policy; Aleppo region a "living hell"; siege of Madaya continues. Syria
