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
Egypt’s tale of two generals The contrasts between former Chief of Staff Sami Anan and current Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi could not be more stark. Egypt
Jordanian hospitals manage care for wounded Syrians Almost every hospital in Jordan has a ward where Syrians can receive free health care after being severely wounded in Syria. Syria
For France, Arak is a deal killer The French government is right to demand limits on the Arak heavy water reactor, as Iran is right to insist on sanctions relief, if both sides seek to build confidence. Iran
What happened to Turkey’s Islamized Armenians? A conference on Armenians, Islamized during the genocide years, is an encouraging sign that Turks are facing up to a painful chapter of their history. Turkey
Syrian opposition split over peace conference The National Coalition of Syrian Opposition and Revolutionary Forces is meeting in Istanbul to consider participating in the Geneva II peace conference. Syria
Interior minister links coed housing with terrorism Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Guler argues that his government is concerned about coed accommodations not due to its sexual aspects, but because terrorist organizations abuse these relationships. Turkey
Turkey unlikely to upset Iraq in KRG energy deal Turkey’s energy initiatives with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq are not likely to jeopardize a possible warming trend in Ankara-Baghdad ties. Business
Netanyahu rejects 'deal of the century for Iran' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State John Kerry reportedly clash before Kerry headed to Geneva for the Iran talks. Israel
Despite Swiss report, controversy over Arafat's death continues The publication of the Swiss inquiry into the death of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat does not offer an end to the debate over whether he was poisoned. Palestine
Israeli Labor Party MK argues Yachimovich is no team player Labor Party MK Erel Margalit opposes Chair Shelly Yachimovich's leadership, arguing that she has failed to garner the support of the industrial sector and lead a strong opposition socioeconomic agenda. Israel
Police reforms to combat sexual violence not enough Several initiatives by Middle East countries may be a good start, but there is still a long way to go to combat sexual violence in the region. Yemen
