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
AIPAC sets 'guidelines' for Iran nuclear deal AIPAC, the American Israel Political Action Committee, makes the case for congressional pressure on Iran. Palestine
New Lebanese government must deal with terror While the partnership between Hezbollah and the Future Movement in the new Lebanese government is good start, to be truly successful, they must directly address terrorism together. Lebanon
Another sensational scandal rocks Turkey Pro-government dailies are reporting a massive wiretapping scandal. Turkey
Iraq's failing state institutions The Iraqi government appoints state officials on the basis of politics rather than competence, something that has led to many state projects failing without anyone being held accountable. Iraq
Lebanon's Christian mediators The newly formed Lebanese government has until mid-March to agree to a ministerial statement, as signs suggest that Christian parties could serve as mediators to the Sunni-Shiite dispute. Lebanon
After Acre blast, fears of vigilantism Following an alleged act of sabotage that led to the explosion of a residential building, killing five, the city of Acre is trying to keep one of Israel’s most important tourist destinations calm. Israel
Jewish/Palestinian history without borders Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas should return to the statement made in 2004 by Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat, recognizing Israel as the Jewish state, while Israelis should recognize Palestine as the homeland of Palestinians. Palestine
Hamas denies secret message to Netanyahu Hamas officials denied that Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh sent a secret message to his Israeli counterpart, but debate continues within the movement about a dialogue with Israel. Palestine
The peril of escalation in Syria Edward Dark writes that Aleppans will pay the price for any escalation in the war; the UN Security Council votes for humanitarian assistance and calls for greater cooperation to confront al-Qaeda in Syria; 16 female journalists cover the Middle East; and exorcism in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Lapid wins superficial victory over drafting ultra-Orthodox The ultra-Orthodox leaders cry out in public against the new law requiring their enlistment in the army, but behind the scenes, they're discretely satisfied. Israel
How much nuclear power does Iran need? Iran could clarify the bottom line on enrichment with an up-to-date assessment of its needs for nuclear power in domestic energy production. Iran
Ultra-Orthodox draft law defuses Israel's 'existential threat' The ultra-Orthodox draft law proposes a gradual enlistment process, which will not lead to an equal sharing of the burden, but will help the ultra-Orthodox overcome the obstacles between them and the modern world. Israel
![Palestinian President Yasser Arafat attends a meeting in his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah July, 19, 2004. [Palestinian President Yasser Arafat sought on Monday to defuse a leadership crisis triggered by unprecedented unrest in the Gaza Strip over corruption within his government and security forces.] - RTXMS1N](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/02/RTXMS1N.jpg/RTXMS1N.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=VvJL4C5C)
