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
Turkey's Constitutional Court stands up to Erdogan The Turkish Constitutional Court has shown its independence in issuing recent decisions despite the condemnations of the AKP and its propaganda machine. Turkey
Deciphering IS' strategy in latest Turkey attack The July 20 attack on Suruc was designed to send a strong message to Kurds, the United States and Turkey. Syria
Egypt's draft dodgers With Egypt ramping up the fight against armed extremists in the Sinai Peninsula, Egyptian youth are coming up with new ways to avoid military conscription. Egypt
Former insurgent Islamist leader's take on IS in Sinai In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Gamaa Islamiya leader Nageh Ibrahim says the Muslim Brotherhood ought to reach a reconciliation with the state. Egypt
Palestine's accidental gay rights activists Some Palestinian Facebook users' unwitting application of a rainbow filter celebrating gays' right to marry in the United States has raised heated debates around the taboo subject of homosexuality and the appropriateness of the rainbow symbol. Near East
Tribal massacre victims forced to negotiate with IS A year after a deadly attack by the Islamic State, tribesmen in Syria's Deir ez-Zor are trying to bring civilians back to their homes. Syria
Israeli superfood research could help Rwanda Rwandan agronomists are studying techniques developed by Israeli students for fast, cheap and simple cultivation of the superfood algae spirulina. Israel
Can Netanyahu get Congress to reject nuke deal? The United States and Israel are close allies, but the battle over the nuclear deal is getting fiercer by the moment. Israel
Iran MPs: Hamas visit to Saudi Arabia a 'mistake' While Iran has been a strong supporter of the Palestinian group Hamas, a trip by its leaders to Saudi Arabia has drawn warnings from Iranian politicians. Saudi Arabia
Israeli media drowns out pro-Iran-deal voices Israeli politicians condemning the agreement with Iran have monopolized the conversation in Israel. Israel
Israel's failed prisoner release policies Israel's policy of expelling released prisoners outside the West Bank has only encouraged them to resume terror activity. Palestine
Turkey needs to drop its dead-end foreign policy Former diplomats say Ankara should act urgently with its NATO allies to face the new threats that have emerged to its security from groups like the Islamic State. Syria
