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
Defense bill could keep sanctions pressure on Iran A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of June 8. Qatar
Will voters reject Turkey’s ‘precious loneliness’? Parliamentary elections on June 7 could signal a shift in Turkey’s foreign policy; Islamic State’s radicalization campaign extends to Iraqi Kurdistan; Iran not backing down in Syria; Soleimani promises "surprise" in battle against Islamic State. Iraq
Senate prepares to review Iran nuclear deal The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has started holding classified briefings to prepare members to review the terms of a prospective Iran nuclear deal next month. Iran
How do we solve Iran talks' verification dilemma? The issue of inspections of Iranian military facilities and the interrogation of Iranian scientists has quickly become the most controversial aspect of the nuclear negotiations in Iran. Congress
Hezbollah's media machine changes gears The media has always been a focus for Hezbollah, but the group has recently changed its message. Lebanon
Is new ambassador sign of thaw in Baghdad-Riyadh relations? Saudi Arabia restores diplomatic relations with Iraq by appointing an ambassador to Baghdad, but the kingdom will need to recognize the diversity of the Shiite political actors in Iraq and shift its foreign policy accordingly. Saudi Arabia
Will elections bring end of 'Erdogan era'? The rising fortunes of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party may mean the beginning of the end of the "Erdogan era." Turkey
Palestinian men face prison sentences for Facebook posts Facebook posts by a number of Palestinian men have been deemed inciteful to violence by the magistrate’s court in Jerusalem, amid public uproar calling the legality of the charges into question. Palestine
Is Iran worried about IS on its border? Statements by Iranian officials suggest that they are worried about the Islamic State reaching their borders and even carrying out attacks inside Iran. Iran
Al-Azhar controversy leads to curriculum updates Al-Azhar curricula is being updated following accusations of extremism, which has caused controversy among religious thinkers and authorities. Egypt
What sort of parliament awaits Turkey after the election? Even slightly disparate results in Turkey’s June 7 election could take the country in different directions. Turkey
Netanyahu derails debate on boycott, occupation Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu views the boycott campaign against Israel through a prism of anti-Semitism and is avoiding public debate over the BDS movement's motives, namely the occupation. Palestine
