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
What does it mean to be a friend of Israel? Some within the Republican Party have turned the Middle East conflict into a focal point of an internal political dispute. Israel
Bibi's opulent lifestyle won't sway voters The release of the state comptroller's report has confirmed the lavish household expenses of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, but it may not matter on election day. Israel
Gazans forced to sell their belongings The harsh economic crisis that has been worsening in the Gaza Strip due to the Israeli blockade and the PA’s financial deficit has forced Gazans to sell their belongings to avoid begging for money. Palestine
Has AKP sacrificed Turkey's Ottoman heritage? Shoddy conditions at the new Ottoman Archives building in Istanbul stand to weaken the conservative credentials of the Justice and Development Party. Turkey
Wiretaps reveal Turkey's attacks on Syrian regime positions Court documents reveal that last year, when the Syrian opposition captured the Armenian town of Kassab, the Turkish army shelled the Syrian army. Syria
Israel still refuses to run water to Rawabi In an interview with Al-Monitor, attorney Dov Weissglass deplores the ongoing Israeli refusal to connect the Palestinian town Rawabi to the water network, claiming that the refusal by Ministers Moshe Ya'alon and Silvan Shalom is politically motivated. Palestine
Is Europe closing door to refugees? With smuggling tragedies increasing in the Mediterranean, Europe is looking for ways to stem the tide of human smuggling from North Africa. Egypt
Disagreement keeps Hamas-Iran rapprochement on ice Reports that Iran is insisting on the resignation of Hamas’ political bureau chief Khaled Meshaal in exchange for the resumption of relations between the parties seems to have stalled reconciliation talks for now. Palestine
What the Kahane phenomenon can teach Israelis today The Israeli far-right prefers to preserve late Meir Kahane as a historical figure, but with his recent production of "Kahane Was Right" playwright Yoav Itamar forces the Israeli public to confront contemporary Israeli stances on Kahane's controversial, far-right ideologies. Israel
Rouhani accommodates Iran's Jewish students President Hassan Rouhani's administration has taken steps to address the concerns of Iranian Jews, who wish to observe the holy Sabbath without sacrificing their education. Iran
Some see snubs, Erdogan sees envy While Erdogan remains unconcerned, diplomats say Turkey's isolation is hurting the country. Turkey
Could Libya's IS suck Egypt into endless war? The massacre committed by the Islamic State against Egyptian Copts has raised talk about a new military intervention in Libya, while Egypt is calling for military action against the terrorists. Egypt
