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
Iran To Be Included by US In Middle East Affairs The United States and its allies need to adapt their foreign policy strategies in the Middle East to include President Hassan Rouhani's Iran. Lebanon
Syrian Opposition, Kurd Agreement Irrelevant Without PYD The Syrian National Coalition will need to reach an agreement with the powerful Democratic Union Party if it truly wants to win Kurdish support. Syria
Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Comes to Head in Area C The manhandling of EU diplomats by Israeli soldiers in the Jordan Valley is evidence of just how sensitive this area is to peace talks. Palestine
Rouhani Heads to New York, Offers Help On Syria Talks Al-Monitor’s analysis and coverage of what to expect at the UN General Assembly this week. Israel
Radical Islam Movement Gains Momentum Among Israeli Arabs The leader of the extremist northern faction of the Islamic movement, Raed Salah, drew tens of thousands of Muslims to a rally in support of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and against coexistence within Israeli society. Palestine
Israel's Dismissal of Iran A Lost Opportunity It's arrogant for Israel to dismiss Rouhani's overtures and refuse to consider the possibility of a new era in Iran. Israel
Who Is Egypt's Next President? Egypt would benefit most from a president who does not hail from the military. Egypt
US Should Reform, Not End Military Aid to Egypt Egypt’s democratic transition is served by a new approach to US military assistance. Egypt
Rouhani Enlists Iran Jewish MP Against Hard-Liners Iranian President Hassan Rouhani looks to put behind the charges of Holocaust denial by his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Israel
Kurdish Parties Build Alliance To Curb Barzani’s Power in Syria On the eve of elections in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, the Kurdish question in Turkey, Iraq, and Syria becomes even more entangled. Iraq
Attack on Ankara Police Station Leads to New Questions for AKP An attack on police headquarters further deepens mutual suspicions between anti and pro-AKP Turks. Syria
Israeli Mayors Facing Charges Can Run for Re-Election Despite a court decision to dismiss two mayors charged with corruption, both will be allowed to run for another term in next month's municipal elections. Israel
