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
Italian Consulate bombing hits home for Cairo, Rome The security situation in Egypt is precarious, with little hope for future improvement. Egypt
Druze caught up in 'game of nations' The Syrian Druze, staunch allies of the Assad regime, face an existential threat from opposition forces, which is why Druze leaders in neighboring countries have been calling for arming them and for better relations with the Sunni community. Israel
Turkish exports plunge Turkish businesspeople have long advocated a cheap currency as a means to boost exports, but despite the plummeting Turkish lira, a combination of external factors have led to an alarming decrease in exports. Turkey
Hamas takes hit after latest PA crackdown A widespread security campaign by the Palestinian Authority has been targeting Hamas members in the West Bank, arresting hundreds and refusing to reveal the reasons behind these measures. Palestine
PKK, Turkey squabble over same dam issue Turkey's extensive dam construction projects are threatened with attacks by the Kurdistan Workers Party, which sees the projects as destructive and only serving military objectives. Turkey
A year later, Gazans face war losses, attempt to move on Sadness and feelings of loneliness and great loss are sweeping across the Gaza Strip, where people still mourn the loss of their loved ones. Palestine
Is IAEA capable of monitoring Iran nuclear program? Technological advances and lessons learned from previous clandestine nuclear programs provide confidence that Iran cannot violate the terms of a new nuclear agreement. Iran
With Iran threat off table, Israel should resolve Palestinian issue The nuclear deal with Iran actually offers Israel new opportunities, by pushing aside the ongoing focus on the nuclear threat and concentrating on resolving the conflict with the Palestinians. Palestine
Is Turkey on brink of more violence? Increasingly militarized conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK has brought Turkey to the brink of a new spiral of violence. Syria
As companies rush to Iran, Turkey slow to wake up to opportunity As Western companies have already set up camp in Tehran, Turkey’s business circles are waiting and hoping, but political tensions with Iran do not bode well for openings to Turkey. Turkey
Ultra-Orthodox Knesset members shy away from minister title For many years, Israel's ultra-Orthodox politicians preferred to be nominated deputy ministers and not ministers, shrugging off official responsibility for a Jewish state run differently than their understanding of Jewish-religious rules. Israel
Iraqi writer brings Persian literature to Arab world Ghassan Hamdan bridges the Iranian-Arab divide with his translations of Persian literature into Arabic. Egypt
