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
Obama, Kerry, Rihanna Should Rethink Approach to Israel An open letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, President Barack Obama and Rihanna. Israel
Nationalist Slogans Fade From Palestinian Discourse Despite the recent attacks on Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, many Palestinians are downplaying their connection to the resistance movement and avoiding nationalist rhetoric. Palestine
EU Official Says Iran 'Undoubtedly' Has New Approach to Nuclear Talks In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Pierre Vimont, deputy to High Representative Catherine Ashton, says it's “still rather difficult to conclude that they have presented a new policy.” Egypt
Border Smuggling Rises In Iranian Kurdistan As sanctions continue to take their toll on Iran's economy, more Iran Kurds are risking their lives as border couriers to make a living. Iran
Creeping Settlements Undermine Peace Negotiations Israel's expanding settlements have not halted during the negotiations brought about by US Secretary of State John Kerry. Palestine
Israel's Release of Palestinian Prisoners: Deja Vu All Over Again The release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel seems to be settling into a routine; two more releases are to take place after this one. Palestine
Brahimi Talks Syria in Iran Lakhdar Brahimi, UN-Arab League joint representative, tries to enlist Iranian help in the Geneva II conference on Syria. Syria
Turkey, Iraq Work to Renew Ties Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari’s visit to Ankara last week suggests Turkey is trying to adjust its approach to its neighbors. Iraq
Who’s Afraid of Palestine? A series of studies claims that the establishment of a Palestinian state would benefit regional stability and boost economic growth in tourism, communications and agriculture. Palestine
PA Minister Says Prisoner Release 'Only Way' Forward Palestinian Authority Minister for Prisoners' Affairs Issa Karake believes that Israel's recently announced prisoner release will create trust between the negotiating parties. Palestine
Jordan’s Reform Agenda on Hold The crisis in Syria has been a catalyst for Jordan to focus on economic, not political, reform and security. Jordan
Algeria’s Failing State The announcement that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika will seek a fourth term offers little optimism for Algeria’s future. Business
