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
Israeli housing minister: 'No more' settlement freezes The day commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem, Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel has announced further construction in East Jerusalem, driving closer the danger of a binational state. Palestine
Secular young Israelis want religious weddings Living in a state which offers no civil marriage, most young Israelis opt for the religious ceremony, mainly because families cherish tradition more than the rabbis who officiate. Israel
Rival Kurdish parties battle for power in Syria A series of tit-for-tat incidents has worsened relations between the Kurdistan Workers Party of Abdullah Ocalan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Massoud Barzani. Syria
Israel is a Jewish state; get over it The Israeli demand that Palestinians recognize the Jewish state does not contradict the two-state solution, but it exposes the Palestinian reluctance to consider the Jews as a people instead of a religion. Palestine
Will Iraqi elections be decided in Iraq? Given the internal divisions and sectarian tensions characterizing the Iraqi scene, external powers maintain strong influence in the country. Iraq
Sunni, Shiite scholars attempt to ease Iraqi political conflicts As Iraq's sectarian conflicts have always exacerbated political strife, communication networks between Shiite and Sunni clerics are sorely needed. Iraq
Iran prosecutor denies summoning Facebook founder The news, now denied, that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was summoned by an Iranian court in response to privacy complaints originated from a Basij official and an Iranian court. Iran
Israel prefers right wing over radical Islam in Europe The shooting at the Jewish Museum in Brussels coupled with the rise of the extreme right in recent EU elections brings the “new anti-Semitism” into Israeli public discourse, though the context of these two events might hide another reality. Israel
Leviathan gas deal may be catalyst for Israel-Turkey reset Is the Turkish court’s decision to indict former Israeli army chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi for the Mavi Marmara flotilla raid part of the reconciliatory diplomatic ballet by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, eyeing the “Leviathan” gas field? Israel
Sisi loses turnout battle in Egypt's election While Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is expected to win in a landslide, the low voter turnout reflects the failure of his campaign to manage expectations and build a mandate for governance. Egypt
Changes in Saudi Defense Ministry a matter of family politics The leadership of the Saudi Ministry of Defense is being reshuffled quickly, indicating an effort to concentrate power and influence in the hands of the sons of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. Saudi Arabia
War profiteers plunder Syria Both Syrian government forces and rebels are accused of rampant, systematic looting and robbery of civilian homes. Syria
