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
The Political Decline Of Naftali Bennett Israeli Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett’s desire to serve the interest of the general public, beyond his commitment to right-wing voters, is taking a significant toll on his political stature. Palestine
Do Christians Have a Future In the Middle East? A recent conference in Amman gathered prominent Christian academics, politicians and parlimentarians from the Middle East to discuss the challenges Christians face in the wake of the Arab Spring. Palestine
Challenges Await Egypt's New Constitution The 50-member committee for reviewing Egypt's constitutional amendments is trying to work out differences over certain key elements. Egypt
Israeli Restictions at Al-Aqsa Could Spark Violence Israel is imposing tighter restrictions on Palestinian Muslims wishing to access Al-Aqsa Mosque while allowing more Jewish visits that disrespect Islamic customs. Palestine
Debate on Gulf Migrant Workers Misses the Point Media reports on the Arab Gulf states concerning migrant workers often fail to frame the bigger picture. Qatar
Erdogan Deserves Credit For Democratization Package Give credit where it's due: The Turkish prime minister's democratization package is overwhelmingly positive. Turkey
Israel Contemplates New Regional Strategy Israel is anticipating how to manage the consequences of a thaw in US-Iran relations. Palestine
Development Fund to Fill New Role, Hopes Iran's Private Sector Iran’s National Development Fund has been a disappointment, but there is hope that under a new managing director, it can play a meaningful role in job creations and growth. Iran
Israel Should Acknowledge Its Own Nuclear Program Instead of focusing solely on Iran, the international community should examine Israel's purported nuclear arsenal and its refusal to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Israel
Israel’s Policy Dispossesses Jordan Valley Bedouins The demolition of Khirbet al-Makhoul brings to light Israel's long-standing policy of "Judaising" the Jordan Valley and the Hebron Hills, by dispossessing Palestinian-Bedouin residents. Palestine
Could Netanyahu's Offensive Against Iran Backfire? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demands for Iran to be tested by its deeds, not words, but will Israel follow the same example when negotiating with the Palestinians? Palestine
Russia Curbs Freedom of Press Ahead of Olympics Russia denies entry to Turkish journalist ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, a city that holds tragic memories of war and deportation for Circassians, who refer to their events as "genocide." Turkey
