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
Is Defection of Syrian General Part of Russian Plan? There are reports that a high-ranking Syrian Alawite officer, Gen. Ali Habib, has left the country, leaving some thinking this could be part of a Russian plan to reach a solution to the conflict. Lebanon
Hamas Seeks to Ease Tension With Egypt Army Some Hamas officials have moved to calm tensions with Egypt's army, but not without heated internal debate. Palestine
Norwegian Diplomat in Israel Doubts Settlements Can Be Stopped After years of involvement in the Middle East, Norwegian Ambassador to Israel Svein Sevje is concerned that he is more worried about the future of Israel than Israelis are. Palestine
The Lingering Trauma Of the Yom Kippur War Processing the trauma of the Yom Kippur War has taken Israelis four decades, with testimony by former Prime Minister Golda Meir finally being disclosed Sept. 12. Egypt
Land Mines From Iraq War Continue to Plague Iran Though there is a lack of official data, Iran remains the second-most mine-polluted country in the world, with eradication no simple task. Iran
Is Syria War Additional Spark To Alevi Protests in Turkey? The war in Syria and the fallout from the Gezi Park demonstrations may be revealing a fault line in Turkish politics. Syria
Art Goes Indoors At Istanbul Biennial Amid the continuing street protests in the city, the 13th Istanbul Biennial’s decision to withdraw from public spaces aims to make the demonstrations and their message more visible. Turkey
Saudi National Day Masks Contradictions in Culture and Identity The power and pomp that will be on display on Saudi National Day on Sept. 23 will mask broader contradictions in the Kingdom’s national identity. Saudi Arabia
Iran’s Foreign Minister Backs US-Russia Plan for Syria Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif says that if there is a chance for peace in Syria, “we have to grab it.” Syria
Clerics Play Crucial Role In Iraq’s Sectarian Conflict As sectarian violence continues to plague Iraq, the government must focus on bringing together Sunni and Shiite preachers to reconcile their views and calm the tension among their followers. Iraq
Russia's Mideast Role A Plus for Palestinians Active Russian involvement in the Middle East will be welcomed by Palestinians, as they seek to counter Israel's hold on US policy. Palestine
US-Russia Agreement Gives Hope on Syria The US-Russian understanding on Syria presents a number of challenges but also positive opportunities. Lebanon
