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
Fallen soldiers memorial and the Israeli ethos On the eve of Israel's memorial day for its fallen soldiers, a cornerstone was laid for a national memorial hall, evoking once more the debate over a common narrative of Israeli wars. Israel
Turkish trade unions in death throes Restrictive laws and government hostility have crippled Turkey’s once-mighty labor movement, which made a poor showing this May Day. Turkey
Hamas' Abu Marzouk says recognizing Israel a 'red line' In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Mousa Abu Marzouk, deputy chairman of Hamas' political bureau, said that although it "will not recognize Israel ... Hamas will not burden the next government's success with hurdles and obstacles." Palestine
Israel, at 66, losing its creative national spirit Once a young, creative and peace-aspiring country, Israel is missing the spirit that animated its founders. Palestine
'We're Worried' conference against nuclear deal stirs backlash Critics of the Iranian nuclear deal held a conference to voice their opposition, but many opponents ran with the theme to air concerns of their own. Iran
Netanyahu, unscathed by peace talks collapse, finds new agenda Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launches a bill defining Israel as the Jewish homeland, composing a new public agenda after the collapse of diplomatic talks and the fading away of the Iranian issue. Palestine
Women realtors may lose jobs in Iran The announcement by an Iranian realtor syndicate that women should not work in real estate is worrying female realtors. Iran
Former Ahmadinejad minister: Ahmadinejad used to lie Parviz Kazemi, minister for former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has revealed some tactics of the former president. Iran
Turkey's child murders revive death penalty debate Despite the public outcry, it is unlikely that Turkey will reinstate capital punishment. Turkey
Hamas sticks to its guns; Egypt could still surprise The fate of Hamas’ Qassam Brigades could hold up the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas; Bassem Sabry’s last article for Al-Monitor anticipates surprises still to come in Egypt. Palestine
Saudi Royal Court focus of twitter crossfire The appointment of Prince Muqrin to deputy crown prince has reportedly angered some of the grandchildren of the kingdom’s founder. Saudi Arabia
At Gaza’s horse clubs, girls eager to ride Despite the conservative nature of Gazan society, which often frowns upon women participating in sports, the Strip has seen a notable rise in female equestrianism in recent years. Palestine
