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 do Iraqis want from their leaders? What do Iraqis look for in a leader? Unsurprisingly, security, low corruption and development top many people's lists. Iraq
Turkey’s only Greek-language newspaper faces closure Turkey's only Greek-language newspaper is threatened with closure due to declining revenue following the financial crisis in Greece. Turkey
Can Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE form Arab security alliance? With the Islamic State (IS) out to change the regional order, Gulf states ought to establish a security alliance to prevent this from happening. Saudi Arabia
Iraqi prime minister’s task not an easy one Amid the security, political and social unrest, the tasks of Iraq’s prime minister-designate, Haider al-Abadi, will be hindered if the people do not unite. Iraq
US missile shipment delay should teach Israel lesson Now that the White House policy of scrutinizing arms shipments to Israel is out in the open, Israel might begin to understand the price it will pay for rejecting a diplomatic process with the Palestinians. Palestine
Egyptians tolerating cuts in subsidies — for now The government mobilized its police forces to prevent any massive protest against its reduction in fuel subsidies; road infrastructure improvements also helped soften the blow of increased prices for consumers. Egypt
Iran's atomic chief wants detonator issue closed The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran complained that the number of questions regarding Iran's nuclear program were increasing, despite Iran's cooperation and previous understandings. Iran
Will US Middle East policy change after the Gaza war? After the Gaza war, the challenge for the Obama administration will be to stabilize the region, prevent an intifada and create a basis for future progress. Palestine
Aleppo's Christians in Syrian crossfire Christians in Aleppo fear an uncertain fate; Iran’s decisive role in the appointment of Haider al-Abadi as Iraqi prime minister-designate; battle for Arsal may not be over yet; Netanyahu is Israel’s "weakest prime minister" ever; lobbying profiles of Gulf countries to be released. Iraq
Would Gul battle Turkey’s 'parallel state'? Outgoing President Abdullah Gul’s distinction between Gulenist wrongdoers within the state and innocent members of the community shows the difficulty of dismantling the “parallel state” without crippling democracy and social peace. Turkey
Arsal battle brings Syrian refugee issue to the fore in Lebanon Since the Arsal battle, Lebanon has been taking a new look at its Syrian refugee crisis, which it has been struggling with for years. Lebanon
Jerusalem culture nights under fire When Gaza war erupted, the organizers of the Jerusalem Season of Culture decided to cancel most of its events, and to create, in their stead, exceptional content that corresponds with the security situation and internal Israeli conflicts. Palestine
