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
Iran and the nuclear agreement: Trust but verify Three senior former diplomats from the United States and Iran write that the interim agreement with Iran can lead to progress not only on the nuclear file but also in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. Saudi Arabia
Pioneering woman starts Arab Israeli news site Ghada Zoabi, founder of Bokra, the first daily news site for Israeli Arabs, launches a cooperation project between her e-paper and an Israeli lifestyle online magazine. Israel
New plan for Judaizing the Galilee stirs controversy A new urban plan for villages in the Galilee sparks controversy among Jews and Arabs, in view of the financial resources it allocates to Jewish localities, neglecting Arab villages. Israel
Former Shin Bet chief: Ending internal conflict key for Israel The public debate on the peace process between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Shin Bet Director Yuval Diskin has sharpened a bitter point: The “implications of failing to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are far more existential than the Iranian nuclear issue.” Israel
Mandela's legacy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Nelson Mandela opened the way to reconciliation between Israel and South Africa, though true mending of the relationship might depend on ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel
Mandela's legacy shines on Late South African leader Nelson Mandela will always remain a powerful symbol of liberation and triumph for the countries of the Arab Spring and others. Palestine
Turkey's highest court boosts credibility by watershed ruling A landmark ruling by Turkey's Constitutional Court is causing discomfort within the ruling Justice and Development Party. Turkey
Yemeni political, religious movements divided over nation's future As the National Dialogue Conference works to resolve disputes in Yemen and pave the way for a democratic government, disputes among religious groups as well as with secularists continue. Yemen
Maliki's housing initiative may be part of election strategy Is Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's "National Initiative for Housing" a means to win votes? Near East
Turkish anarchists turn to Kemalism Turkish youth, whom Ataturk referred to as the guardians of the republic, have turned him into an unlikely anti-establishment symbol, challenging not only Islamists but also the secular opposition. Turkey
Gaza lacks accountability for medical errors A number of recent cases have shown that medical errors, often leading to the patient’s death, have gone without punishment in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
American jailed in UAE over satirical video An American citizen and others have been imprisoned since April for uploading a satirical video in the UAE, where restrictive cybercrime laws conflict with recent accolades in the Western press. United Arab Emirates
