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
Turkey locked in regional rivalry with Iran, Saudi Arabia Differences over Egypt and Syria are far from resolved, despite some feints at strengthening regional cooperation. Saudi Arabia
Egyptian graffiti artists protest Sisi Renowned Egyptian graffiti artist Ganzeer has protested military rule on the walls of the streets of Cairo, drawing attacks from media supporting military leader and presidential candidate Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egypt
Israel adjusts to Syrian insurgents on Golan border Israel is assessing the consequences and contingencies for dealing with Syrian insurgents on its northern border and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's holding on to power. Israel
Sistani keeps distance from Iraqi election politics Although there have been attempts to embroil Iraqi cleric Ali al-Sistani in the country’s ongoing political disputes, he has continued to stress his non-involvement in these issues. Iraq
Iran military warns against 'baseless' criticism of Rouhani The Iranian armed forces’ chief of staff, who reports directly to the supreme leader, has threatened to “confront” conservative Iranian media outlets that target the administration. Iran
Are Greeks returning to Turkey? Ankara’s softening minority policies have encouraged several Greek families to return to their native lands in Turkey, but a genuine reconciliation requires farther-reaching steps. Turkey
Sabahi offers alternative for Egypt While Hamdeen Sabahi is unlikely to win Egypt’s presidential election against Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Sabahi could still surprise, and his postelection decisions will influence the direction of Egyptian politics. Egypt
How will Lebanon’s Christians deal with presidential vacancy? If a new Lebanese president is not elected by the constitutionally stipulated deadline of May 25, the Christians’ options are limited. Lebanon
Attack on Israeli journalists might indicate shift to violence The attack of two Israeli journalists in the West Bank town of Beitunia might indicate that despite the apparent lack of Palestinian interest in a surge of violence, a third intifada could erupt. Palestine
Maliki got election assist from Anbar crisis Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki skillfully used the Anbar crisis to deepen the sense of collective danger among Shiite voters. Iraq
Israel threatens NGO's tax status for political stand In an interview with Al-Monitor, the chairman of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, Raphael Walden, says that his NGO, which cares for Palestinians and African refugees, might lose its tax benefit status over its criticism against government policy. Palestine
Turkey pivots to Baghdad to close deal on Kurdish oil Turkey has realized it can’t sell Kurdish oil without Baghdad’s blessing. Iraq
