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
Poor Tripoli district becomes hotbed for extremists Mankoubin is one of the impoverished neighborhoods of Tripoli, producing youths who have joined such extremist groups as Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State and have carried out attacks in Syria and Iraq, as well as in Lebanon. Lebanon
Will a united Israeli Arab party survive elections? Despite huge ideological gaps, Arab parties in Israel are trying to form a joint list for the election, but their traditional voter base might not follow. Palestine
Cairo metro fare hike results in public backlash Egyptian news recently reported that the Transport Ministry will increase the price of a metro ticket by 2,500%, which activists consider extremely unfair. Egypt
Iraqi politicians work toward national consensus Afters years of internal division, major political actors in Haider al-Abadi’s new government have become a team, lifting the mood of the despondent Iraqi street. Iraq
Rising incomes mean many Iraqi men marry multiple wives Polygamy is growing among Iraqis as the men who indulge in it cite both progressive and Islamic justifications. Iraq
Egypt forgives Iraqi debt in exchange for oil During Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s visit to Cairo, the Egyptian government agreed to drop the Iraqi debt owed to Egypt, in exchange for oil shares that would come in handy in light of the energy crisis plaguing Egypt. Egypt
Instead of reform, Israeli candidates offer gimmicks The current Israeli election campaign is stocked with politicians visiting the Jerusalem market, populist declarations after the Tel Aviv terror attack and embarrassing video clips, but no proposals for reform or any consolidated agenda. Israel
Gaza water desalination plants cause severe health risks The lack of supervision over water desalination plants and the Israeli siege contribute to the contamination of drinking water available to Gaza’s residents. Palestine
Zarif defends walk with Kerry Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is under fire in Iran for his public walk in Geneva with US Secretary of State John Kerry. Iran
Did US backtrack on Palestinian statehood to please Israel? The United States’ strong position against recognition of a Palestinian state has exposed the vacuity of its two-state rhetoric. Palestine
Phosphate production poisoning Tunisian city The phosphate refinery in Gabes offers employment opportunities, but it is also responsible for environmental degradation causing harm to public health, including high rates of cancer and kidney disease. Tunisia
Congress blindsides Obama, inviting Netanyahu to speak Inviting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress on Iran sanctions without the White House’s knowledge was seen as an unprecedented slap at President Barack Obama. Israel
