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
Who is benefiting from the Erdogan-Gulen split? The Turkish government’s onslaught against the Gulen community has opened the door to public jobs and economic benefits for other religious groups. Turkey
Belly dancing men make comeback in Turkey The impact of Ottoman cultural revival is seen in the increasing popularity of male belly dancers in Turkey. Turkey
Iraq's 2 million IDPs struggling The Islamic State’s offensive this year, and the subsequent conflict that has followed, has spawned nearly 2 million internally displaced persons, many of whom live in run-down, squalid refugee camps and are desperate for aid. Iraq
Iran marks anniversary of anti-Green Movement protests The 2009 election protests in Iran continue to play a large part in politics, and their anniversaries still make headlines every year. Iran
Where have Israeli intellectuals gone? Israeli society has lost its past esteem for intellectuals and writers, with celebrities, actors, singers and media figures serving as its moral compass. Israel
Iraqis bicker over liberating Mosul Arab disputes over leadership and relations with Baghdad and the Kurds, as well as Kurdish disinterest in defending Sunni Arab territories, are complicating efforts to defeat the Islamic State in a highly fragmented Iraq. Iraq
Ongoing instability hurts Yemeni businesses The Yemeni economy continues its downward spiral, with Yemeni entrepreneurs finding it difficult to get financing for projects while the country’s political instability worsens. Yemen
Turkey, Iran at war over trucking A 1994 transportation accord has fueled Turkish-Iranian rivalry for economic and political influence in Central Asia. Iraq
Turkey registers Syrian refugees Turkey has collected the biometric data of at least 1.4 million Syrians as the refugees move closer to citizenship. Syria
'Anyone but Bibi' is not a diplomatic initiative Tzipi Livni's past support for right-wing positions on reaching an agreement with the Palestinians requires that she and Isaac Herzog of Labor reveal a genuine plan for renewing talks. Palestine
Israel must address growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza The Israeli leadership must realize that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza increases every day, and react appropriately despite the upcoming elections that might delay a solution by almost half a year. Palestine
Influential cleric urges reforms in Iran's Assembly of Experts In an exclusive interview, Al-Monitor spoke with Ayatollah Asadollah Bayat-Zanjani, an Iranian marja in the city of Qom. Iran
