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
Iran’s Kurds rise up as their leaders remain divided Various Iranian Kurdish groups have split further apart instead of uniting in their struggle to obtain their rights. Syria
Netanyahu, Herzog battle over Israeli press Netanyahu's schedule, as well as newly revealed sections of the coalition agreements, attest to the fact that the prime minister attributes paramount importance to his control of the media. Israel
Hamas courts Saudis Hamas is seeking a rapprochement with Saudi Arabia to improve its leverage in Palestinian reconciliation talks, which might not please Egypt, which has long brokered the discussions, or Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas. Legacy: Gulf
Israeli court to rule on minister's deportation case After nine years, the Israeli Supreme Court is expected to decide whether the Israeli minister of interior has the right to deport a bona fide permanent resident of the city of Jerusalem. Palestine
Al-Qaeda emir's silence prompts suspicion Al-Qaeda's usually outspoken emir, Ayman al-Zawahri, has remained uncharacteristically silent through the course of recent al-Qaeda successes, leading many to question what may come next. Legacy: Gulf
House begins to weigh next steps on Iran A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of May 11. Congress
Carter: Syria 'safe zones' would be 'major combat mission' US secretary of defense tells Congress no-fly zone would be "difficult thing to contemplate"; state institutions collapse as result of war in Yemen; Obama administration rejects direct arms to Iraqi Kurdistan. Saudi Arabia
New Israeli government makes no pretense of peace For the first time in 20 years, an Israeli government will be sworn in without a mention or plan of resolving the Palestinian conflict. Palestine
Abadi tries to balance Iraq between Iran, Turkey Under Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi government did not hide its strong ties with Iran, but with a new administration in place, Haider al-Abadi is trying to cultivate a more balanced policy toward its neighbors. Iraq
Erdogan spins Kurdish Quran as political tool The first Kurdish-language Quran published by Turkey’s state-run Religious Affairs Directorate has provoked a political outcry ahead of general elections in June. Turkey
Turks fear Saudi alliance will drag country into Syria Opposition politicians in Turkey have charged President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with leading Turkey to war in Syria. Legacy: Gulf
King Salman needs total victory in Yemen The new Saudi king must reassure his domestic audience that his aggressive foreign policy will safeguard the kingdom. Saudi Arabia
