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
Syrian Islamist Forces Gain in Aleppo Divisions among Syrian opposition groups may be hindering Geneva II. Israel
Zamzam Rattles Jordan’s Muslim Brothers The launch of the moderate “Zamzam” Islamists organization presents a challenge for the Muslim Brotherhood. Jordan
Algeria Wrestling With Aftermath Of Jihadists' Temporary Marriages Around 500 children born of temporary jihadist marriages during Algeria's "dirty war" face uncertain futures. Culture & Society
After 35 Years, Palestinians Return To Evacuated Samaria Settlement The Palestinian landowners of the Jewish settlement of Homesh have returned to the land expropriated from them in 1978 under a seizure order. Palestine
Turkey Suspects Turkish Students Who Visited Iran of Espionage The detention of 25 Turkish students who visited Iran on suspicion they had been used for spying and propaganda activities reveals how tense Iran-Turkey relations actually have become. Turkey
The Israeli-Sunni Coalition Against Iran Is there a quiet coalition among the Gulf states and Israel to thwart a possible thaw in US-Europe-Iran ties? Israel
The Legacy of the Ariel Settlement The storm over recognition of the West Bank college of Ariel as a university put a dent in the life work of Ron Nachman, the legendary mayor of Ariel who sought to turn the secular settlement into an Israeli town. Palestine
Hamas Says Meshaal Not Leaving Qatar Hamas senior officials have flatly rejected media reports that leader Khaled Meshaal is severing ties with Qatar. Qatar
Elections Not Enough To Solve Iraqi Crisis The 2014 elections are unlikely to salvage what remains of the Iraqi state after years of bitter political divisions. Iraq
Obama, Rouhani Should Talk More Often Progress in nuclear negotiations with Iran will have positive consequences for other regional security issues. Regional
When Will the 'Jewish State' Become the 'Israeli State'? The Supreme Court has ruled that the existence of an "Israeli" nation has not been proven, thus reinforcing the notion that non-Jewish Israelis are second-class citizens. Israel
Debate Over Oil-Revenue Surplus Renewed in Iraq Iraqi lawmakers are considering whether to distribute the surplus among Iraqi citizens or add it to the state’s budget. Iraq
