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 Activists Accuse Meshaal Of Preferring Life in Exile Rumors about Hamas Chief of Political Bureau Khaled Meshaal leaving Qatar for Beirut have sparked criticism within the movement toward those exiled leaders who refuse to return to Gaza. Qatar
Erdogan, Gulen Combat Islamophobia, Extremism Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fethullah Gulen are leaders in promoting a more moderate Islamic image to the world. Turkey
Iran Hints at Nuclear Concessions, Wants to See Endgame A deal may entail limited uranium enrichment on Iranian soil in return for stringent verification and an end to all nuclear-related sanctions, but time to take the first step is short. Iran
Israeli Society Corrupted by Occupation Daniel Bar-Tal and Izhak Schnell have assembled articles by more than 20 Israeli researchers who describe the negative effects of the occupation and their impact on Israeli society. Palestine
Israel, 'Reproductive Superpower' While Israel is considered a “reproductive superpower,” Germany is facing a declining birthrate, where women willingly choose career over motherhood. Israel
Maliki Says Terrorism in Iraq 'Directly Related' to Syria In an exclusive written interview with Al-Monitor, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said, “The increasing growth of extremist groups” is the deeper problem in Syria and warned “against the narrow, revenge-based view that controls some of the region's countries." Iraq
Fatwa allows sex changes in Iran, but stigma remains While homosexuals are not legally recognized in Iran, the government has subsidized surgery for those individuals wanting to live as the other sex. Iran
Syrian Opposition Regroups After UN Resolution on Chemical Weapons The Syrian government and opposition are refocusing their strategies after UN Security Council Resolution 2118. Lebanon
Sexual Harassment in Gaza Caught on Video Goes Viral A young man was caught on video sexually harassing a woman at Rafah, raising fears that the phenomenon of sexual harassment experienced by Egypt might spread to Gaza. Palestine
Jordanian Band's Israel-Palestine Tour Causes Uproar A tour that will take the Jordanian band Autostrad to Israel, as well as the occupied territories, has reignited a sensitive debate on Arab visits to Israel. Palestine
Sudan shifts alliance from Egypt to Ethiopia over Nile dispute Sudan's realization that it has more to gain from an alliance with Ethiopia has resulted in waning ties with traditional partner Egypt. Egypt
Israel Remembers Vows of Soldier For Comrades in Golan Vows by Dan Almagor during the Tel Saki battle were transformed 40 years later into a memorial site for the Israeli soldiers who died there. Israel
