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
Iran negotiator: Nuclear program limits will have 'time frame' As Iran and the UN Security Council meet for the last round of nuclear talks, negotiators from Iran say that the final agreement will be temporary. Iran
Druze Knesset member slams Arab leaders as 'weak' In an interview with Al-Monitor, Druze Knesset member Hamad Amar expresses his concern: ''I'm worried that radicalization among the Sunnis in the Middle East will penetrate the Israeli Arab community.'' Palestine
Press freedom victim of Israeli military campaign Israel’s military raids on the West Bank following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers have included violations against Palestinian journalists and media outlets. Palestine
Turks come to Israel in record numbers The strengthening of business ties between the two countries results in an increase in Turkish citizens arriving in Israel, Israeli officials say. Israel
Jordan boosts military presence on Iraq border Jordanian officials say they can thwart any jihadist advance from Iraq. Iraq
Netanyahu shows restraint in response to murders The moderate reaction of Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, espousing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cautious move, might signal Israel’s reluctance to embark on a large-scale military operation in Gaza, following the discovery of the bodies of the three kidnapped youths. Palestine
Would Turkey accept a Kurdish state? As the likelihood of an independent Kurdish state on Turkey’s eastern border grows, Ankara is losing its historical resistance to the idea. Iraq
Ahmadinejad’s legal case still open, says Iran judiciary The Iranian judiciary’s spokesman has said that various charges are still being investigated against former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other officials in the banking and oil sectors. Iran
Netanyahu considers challenges on left and right Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might decide to advance Likud Party primaries, to assure his position when facing a possible disintegration of the coalition whose partners challenge him from left and right. Israel
Egypt's 'kofta' scandal sign of missing checks, balances Egypt needs an effective opposition and parliament to balance executive power. Egypt
Poor election turnout sign of Libya's despair The low voter turnout in the June 25 elections shows just how disillusioned Libyans have become with their nation's politics. Libya
EU warnings to Israel remain unheard Israel’s ties to the European Union still are complicated by settlement policies. Israel
