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
Hamas unfazed by Fatah outreach to Iran Syria is still a sticky issue between Hamas and both Fatah and Iran. Palestine
Facebook chats cause divorce in Gaza Facebook has enabled a new openness in Palestinian society, but also offers temptations of infidelity. Palestine
Iraq needs law to protect minorities Although the Iraqi constitution stipulates rights for all the country’s "components," there is a pressing need for a law that specifies and ensures minority rights in particular. Iraq
ISIS leader al-Baghdadi proves formidable enemy Contrary to his predecessors, Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has proven to be more pragmatic and devious. Iraq
Israel-Palestinian peace requires realism on Jordan Valley Trilateral cooperation projects to save the Dead Sea and the Jordan River must be accompanied by transferring parts of the Jordan Valley to Palestinian sovereignty. Palestine
Journalists become the story in Egypt International and social media coverage may have resulted in improved prison conditions for detained journalists. Qatar
Israeli singer with right-wing views denied lifetime award Despite xenophobic statements by singer Ariel Zilber, the Israeli right blames the left of persecuting him over the decision to award him a lifetime achievement award. Israel
Iraqi vendors diversify supplies in response to Syria, Anbar conflicts Military operations launched in the Anbar province, located along the Syrian border, have disrupted the import of goods from Syria, leading Iraqi vendors to turn to other states to import goods. Iraq
Iran, Israel and the politics of gesture Iranian and Israeli officials are listening to each other at international conferences. Israel
Satirical Turkish site on trial for insulting religion Turkish prosecutors are busily pursuing “insults” to Islam, while hate speech against Jews and Christians goes largely unnoticed. Turkey
Libya’s forgotten war victims Libyan civilians killed or injured during the NATO bombing campaign were excluded from government support for "martyrs" of the revolution that overthrew Moammar Gadhafi. Libya
Homemade bombs widespread in Egypt As clashes continue in Egypt between supporters and opponents of the interim regime, homemade bombs have begun to spread, with some groups claiming that they are a legitimate means for confronting the excessive violence of the police and security services. Egypt
