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
Former Israeli minister says public brainwashed about Abbas In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Labor Minister Ephraim Sneh rejects the claim that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is not a partner for peace, saying the Israeli public has undergone Goebbelsian-style brainwashing. Palestine
Israel should give Palestinian reconciliation a chance The Fatah-Hamas reconciliation took Israel and others by surprise, and while intelligence sources are skeptical about the move, it should be given a chance because Hamas might be ready to enter the negotiating tent. Palestine
Sectarian discourse dominates Iraqi election politics Candidates in Iraq’s upcoming elections continue to engage in a sectarian, rather than, national discourse. Iraq
US can help heal GCC rifts The United States is leading efforts to resolve the dispute between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but uncertainty over the future of the Gulf Cooperation Council remains. Legacy: Gulf
Hamas-Fatah reconciliation an opportunity for Israel Israel should realize that, by virtue of Hamas' integration into PLO institutions, the group has tacitly come to terms with Israel's existence. Palestine
Egyptians still in search of political messiah Despite their hopes, Egyptians will not find a leader with the power to effect the deep structural reform Egypt needs to move forward. Egypt
Maliki diversifies Iraqi electoral lists Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has diversified his electoral lists to have a larger share of the votes in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Iraq
Maliki’s State of Law Coalition wants majority government Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition is blaming current problems on the "partnership" government, worked out in a power-sharing arrangement in 2010. Iraq
Gaza quiet after Palestinian reconciliation deal The latest reconciliation deal between Hamas and Fatah was not met with fanfare in the Gaza Strip, as locals remain skeptical on whether the deal will be implemented. Palestine
Israel's Oslo paradox Dismantling the Palestinian Authority will bring neither security nor order, will cost Israel about $2.7 billion a year and will add more injustice in construction zones allotted to Palestinians. Palestine
Erdogan surprises with condolence message to Armenians What is the calculation behind Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s unprecedented statement of condolence to Armenians? Turkey
Leftist Knesset member: Israelis want social justice but vote Netanyahu In an interview with Al-Monitor, left-wing Knesset member Dov Khenin describes the essential Israeli political incoherence, where the Israeli public calls for social justice while voting for capitalist, right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Palestine
