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
Egypt’s antiquities under constant threat Archaeologists complain of a devastating and ongoing security failure as violations of Egypt’s most famous sites continue. Egypt
Radicalized Western mothers lead children into Islamic State Many Western women have joined the Islamic State, often bringing their children along with them to Syria, where they train and go to school. Syria
West Bank boycotts six Israeli companies The Palestinian boycott of Israeli products sold in the West Bank might help strengthen the Palestinian economy, and draw the world’s attention to the Israeli occupation. Palestine
Palestinian Christians resist Israeli conscription Efforts by the Israel Defense Forces to recruit Christian Palestinian youths have raised the ire of Palestinians, who accuse the Orthodox Patriarchate of cooperating with Israel. Palestine
Egypt to face mandatory maritime inspections As Egypt has failed to undergo voluntary trial inspections of its maritime works, ports and ships, the International Maritime Organization's upcoming official inspections could negatively affect shipping in the Suez Canal. Egypt
Can US reassure Arabs, Israel on Iran deal? The United States can provide more weapons and intelligence to Persian Gulf states to deter Iranian aggression but cannot prop them up against internal threats. Legacy: Gulf
Erdogan focuses on trade during Iran visit Despite a red-carpet welcome to Tehran, where meetings between the Turkish president and Iranian officials focused on economic ties, the uproar around Recep Tayyip Erdogan's incendiary remarks about Iran continued unabated. Turkey
Lebanon's first sexologist Sandrine Atallah is working to raise awareness of sexuality and sexual health in a country that often shies away from such topics. Lebanon
Iran official: framework deal welcomed Senior officials in Iran told Al-Monitor that Iran and the United States ensured the framework deal was one that served their own interests first and foremost. Iran
Will Iranian nuclear deal impact Lebanon? Although historically a change in regional dynamics has aided the political stalemate in Lebanon, it remains unclear whether this latest breakthrough will help the country elect a president. Saudi Arabia
Hamas treads carefully with support for Yemen war Hamas’ stance on the war in Yemen may redraw the map of its political alliances in the region, repositioning itself toward the so-called Sunni axis. Saudi Arabia
New Joint List MK: Israel discriminates against Arabs In an interview with Al-Monitor, newly elected Knesset member Yousef Jabareen says that the State of Israel discriminates against its Arab citizens in regard to religious and educational services, land allocation and development budgets. Israel
