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
Knesset member warns of Arab Spring in West Bank In an interview with Al-Monitor, Kadima Knesset member and former Shin Bet official Israel Hasson warns of Israel's humiliating approach to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and predicts that if negotiations blow up: "The Arab Spring will get to the West Bank.'' Palestine
Hamas celebrates AKP win in Turkish elections Hamas considers Turkey a vital ally and held rallies in celebration of the ruling Justice and Development Party's election victory. Palestine
Kerry's artificial negotiations Secretary of State John Kerry's frustrations on the Middle East should not come as a surprise. Palestine
Syria's moderate rebels still losing ground to extremists The ascendance of Islamic groups among Syria's opposition has clouded prospects for more advanced weapons to be provided to moderate factions. Syria
Gaza theaters battle censorship, conservatism A lack of female performers, the siege and close monitoring by the Hamas government has resulted in a dwindling Gaza theater industry. Palestine
Lapid goes after nepotism in government companies Seven years after a state comptroller's report on nepotism, Finance Minister Yair Lapid imposes new regulations designed to reduce corruption in Israel's major public companies. Israel
Iraqi Kurds still deadlocked over new government Iraqi Kurdish political parties remain in a stalemate over the formation of a new regional government, six months after parliamentary elections were held in Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq
Iraq’s homeless suffer from neglect, exploitation Homeless people in Iraq are often neglected by the state, and some armed groups take advantage of their situation to try to recruit them. Iraq
Hezbollah sanctions bill targets central banks The House Foreign Affairs Committee is set to unveil a new sanctions bill targeting the Iran-backed militia Lebanon
Yemen's children in crisis School conditions in Yemen are among the worst in the world, as Yemen's government fails to invest in education, and 2 million Yemeni children do not even attend school. Legacy: Gulf
Sufi music makes comeback in Iraq Although Western influences have transformed the music scene in Iraq in recent decades, leading to a focus on fast beats and pop music, a number of Iraqis are trying to revive popular interest in traditional Sufi songs. Iraq
Abbas falls into prisoner release trap The release of Palestinian prisoners has been diverted from a trust-building measure to a decisive issue for the negotiations' advancement and for the credibility of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas vis-a-vis his people. Palestine
