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
The Islamization of Turkey Two remarkable developments in Turkey on May 29 have increased concern of growing Islamization in the economy and society. Turkey
Israelis travel under radar to tour Jericho, Bethlehem Hundreds of Israelis are discreetly visiting Jericho and Bethlehem to see archaeological marvels and enjoy local hospitality. Palestine
Why did Iran's Reformists shift on support for Syria? After having initially supported protests against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, some Iranian Reformists have changed their positions and now openly back Assad's fight against the Islamic State. Syria
What are Turkish troops going to do in Qatar? Per a security cooperation agreement between Turkey and Qatar, Turkey will set up a permanent military facility in Qatar. Qatar
IRGC university warns Rouhani administration about foreign policy Imam Hussein University, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has warned officials in the Rouhani administration about having a "simplistic" view in its negotiations with the United States. Iran
Russia mulls strategy to solve Syrian conflict Moscow continues to see the Syrian president as an important ally in the struggle against extremists, and its support for an inclusive national dialogue prompted the Russian Foreign Ministry to host two inter-Syrian consultative meetings that appear to have played a positive role. Syria
Obama warns Israelis of settlement policy consequences In an interview with Israeli journalist Ilana Dayan, President US Barack Obama warns that the international community has ceased believing in Israel's willingness to negotiate peace. Palestine
Sisi calls for unifying Egypt's electoral lists Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has called for unifying Egypt’s political parties under one banner to run for elections, but could this be a viable option amid Egypt’s current political instability? Egypt
Why did Saudi Arabia intervene in Yemen? As Yemen fell into the Houthis' hands, Saudi Arabia was left with one choice: to intervene militarily, as the kingdom has long been the country's main financial supporter. Saudi Arabia
Palestine’s crippled legislative authority The absence of a Palestinian Legislative Council has had detrimental effects on legislative practices in Gaza, making Palestine’s move toward totalitarianism more conceivable. Palestine
Iraq's security for Shiites causes controversy Iraq’s commitment to provide security services to religious visitors is regarded by some as resources that ought to be used to fight terrorism instead. Iraq
Amnesty report causes uproar within Hamas Hamas officials describe a new Amnesty International report on the group's execution of alleged collaborators with Israel as unprofessional. Palestine
