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
Israel in 2014: The Knesset Al-Monitor presents an in-depth guide to understanding of the key figures, alliances and issues likely to define Israel in the coming year. Israel
Sexual harassment in Egypt still widespread A number of activists and initiatives are working to combat widespread sexual harassment in Egypt. Egypt
Egypt-Ethiopia Nile dam talks hit dead end Talks between Cairo and Addis Ababa concerning the construction of the Renaissance Dam and Egypt’s rights to the Nile water have stalled, while Egypt remains preoccupied with internal crises. Egypt
Egyptian intellectuals call for fresh thinking about 'Jewish question' Writer Youssef Zeidan, with other Egyptian intellectuals, criticizes the institutionalized demonization of Jews and of Israel, calling to mend the relations between the two peoples, since this fracture affects Egypt first and foremost. Egypt
Dahlan works Palestinian street to prepare comeback Exiled Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan prepares for the day when negotiations with the Israelis fail, and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will be forced to vacate his seat and step down. Palestine
Iran’s tourism industry struggles to meet growing demand While Iranian officials have stated they plan to grow Iran's tourism industry, challenges such as investment, visa requirements and cultural issues must be addressed. Turkey
Iranian scholar: nuclear deal key to domestic reforms In an exclusive interview, Tehran University professor Zibakalam tells Al-Monitor that President Hassan Rouhani has correctly judged that resolving the nuclear crisis will give his administration the opportunity to pursue domestic reforms. Iran
Syrian government introduces Kurdish in universities The Syrian regime has offered another carrot to the Kurdish minority: the Kurdish language as a university course. Syria
Sistani silent so far on Anbar violence Iraqi Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani has remained silent regarding developments in Anbar, in line with his vision of a clear division between religious authorities and the state. Iraq
Battle for Nazareth mayor a loser for Christian-Muslim relations Ever since local elections in Nazareth three months ago, a fierce legal battle has been taking place between the Muslim candidate and his friend, the incumbent Christian mayor, over the latter's seat. Israel
Egypt threatens Hamas rule Hamas has managed to survive and even become stronger while facing years of economic pressure from Israel, but now it must cope with Cairo's ambitions to topple it. Palestine
Youth remain low priority for Hamas The Hamas government in Gaza has failed to take serious steps to address problems facing the youth. Palestine
