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
Turkey’s Syria Border on Edge A first-hand account of Turkey’s Syrian border suggests that Turkey continues to provide sanctuary for both rebels fighting the Syrian government and Kurdish forces alike. Syria
Is Ayatollah Khamenei Ready for Change? The influence Iranians have on the views of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei should not be underestimated. Iran
Hamas Emphasizes Resistance Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades have held two military parades in recent weeks and intensified its resistance rhetoric as problems with Egypt and Israel escalate. Palestine
Iraqi Youth Strike Balance Between Conservatism, Modernity Iraqi youths have eagerly embraced aspects of Western culture and style while remaining committed to the rituals and teachings of their religious traditions. Iraq
Iran Looks to Iraq for Syria Support Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s Qods Force, has been seeking assistance from Iraqi Shiite forces to provide support to the Syrian regime but without much apparent success. Iraq
The Myth of Israeli Self-Reliance Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement that Israel relies only on itself contradicts Israel's military history, throughout which Israel has needed American arms shipments. Israel
Arafat Destroyed the Dream of Oslo For Palestinians In 1993, Gaza and the West Bank wanted to establish a democratic state through the Oslo Accords, while Tunis PLO officials imposed the old Arab regimes' model. Palestine
15 Ways Oslo Accords Serve Israel The Oslo Accords are seen by many Palestinians as serving the Israeli occupation. Palestine
Turkey’s Influence Divides Yemenis Turkish influence in Yemen, which has continued since Ottoman times, has proven to be a divisive topic among the Yemeni public. Yemen
Why Are Israelis so Happy? The poverty rate in Israel is the highest among developed nations, and the Netanyahu government continues to slash budgets, so why are Israelis ranked so high in the World Happiness Report? Israel
The Alchemy of Syria's Conflict For US, Russia Disagreement over culpability for the Aug. 21 Syrian chemical weapons attack would not deter a US-Russian initiative to end the war. Syria
Israel's Brooding Versus Hopeful Expectation for Peace Israel's brooding over Syria should be shifted to hopeful expectation of a peaceful outcome. Lebanon
