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
Hamas frustrated by Israel’s flouting of cease-fire deal Key terms in the cease-fire agreement with Israel have not been implemented, raising Palestinians' frustrations. Palestine
How much money goes to Israel's settlements each year? A new report reveals the disparities in government spending between the settlements and the towns in the country’s periphery, reflecting Israel's policy priorities since the 1967 Six Day War. Palestine
Iran conservatives reject cooperation with US against IS Conservative Iranian figures and media outlets have resoundedly rejected the idea of Iran joining a US-led coalition against the Islamic State. Iran
Israel skeptical about US strategy on IS While the US finds a new interlocutor in Israel's opposition leader, the Israeli security establishment is not reassured by President Barack Obama's latest speech, since it fears that much like Hamas, the Islamic State cannot be defeated by airstrikes alone. Iraq
Israeli academics to Netanyahu: accept Arab Initiative Alex Mintz, director of the Institute for Policy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, explains that accepting the Arab Initiative “with reservations” is needed, as it “would weaken Hamas and the Iranian axis” while opening regional negotiations. Saudi Arabia
Gaza fishermen say Israel not honoring cease-fire terms The cease-fire to end the Gaza war included a provision to extend Gaza’s fishing zone, but local fishermen say Israel has yet to implement the new arrangement. Palestine
Syrian women find independence in embroidery An NGO in Lebanon that trains and employs Syrian refugee women in embroidery is also providing a safe environment where they can share their experiences and support one another. Lebanon
Jews suffer from Israeli policy, regardless of political affiliation Jews abroad, regardless of their stance toward Israel, are made to bear responsibility for its policies, as some protesters do not differentiate anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel's occupation policy, nor do some right-wing Israeli politicians. Israel
Iran Foreign Ministry casts doubt on US coalition against IS Iran's Foreign Ministry said that the US-led coalition to fight the Islamic State includes countries that had helped fuel terrorism in the region. Iran
Egyptian official: Poverty main cause of overpopulation Egypt’s growing population and declining economic growth are increasingly problematic for the country's development. Egypt
Abadi's new government will face challenges Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the formation of the new Iraqi government and vowed to answer the demands put forth by political blocs. Iraq
Egyptian tribes wary of new provincial boundaries President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's decision to redraw provincial boundaries is worrying Arab tribes in remote and impoverished areas, where they fear diminishing revenue and development from the central government. Egypt
![Some of 200 French Jews queue at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport before emigrating to Israel July 28, 2004. Some 2,500 Jews leave France for Israel each year but Wednesday's departure comes less than two weeks after [Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon] sparked a controversial call on French Jews to emigrate to Israel to escape what he called the 'wildest anti-Semitism'. Sign at rear reads: "I have two loves: Jerusalem and Paris". ??? NOTE: Some of the people in background may have been accompanying rel](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/09/RTXMSYC.jpg/RTXMSYC.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=bTGegQyp)
