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
22 Key Points in Egypt's New Draft Constitution Newly released amendments to Egypt's suspended 2012 constitution adjust several articles of this Islamist-penned document. Egypt
Israel Urged to Speak Out Against Chemical Weapons Use in Syria A philosopher, a poet, a writer and a Nazi hunter call for Israel to take a firm stance against the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Israel
Israel's New Adversary: Global Jihad Rockets fired by global jihad cells from the Lebanese border will force Israel to adjust its military strategy. Israel
Iraq’s Missing Parliament Iraq’s parliament appears to play a largely superficial role, while political blocs and alliances make the decisions that matter. Iraq
Palestinian Authority Tightens Grip on Hamas in West Bank Hamas says a crackdown by the Palestinian Authority has damaged Hamas' formal structure in the West Bank, but that it is reorganizing nevertheless. Palestine
Turkey's Rising Middle Class Drives Demand for Islamic Fashion A new, wealthy and religiously conservative middle class has emerged with an expensive taste for style and fashion. Turkey
Strict Curfew in Cairo Imposes Harsh Living Conditions Egypt's new rulers are not planning to end the curfew anytime soon, despite the difficult conditions it has imposed on Egyptians. Egypt
Ongoing Political Deadlock Spurs Iraqi Civil Activists Iraqis headed to the polls six times in 10 years, and they continue to live in a society that is insecure and has an inadequate infrastructure and deepening gap between the different groups. Iraq
Egyptian Twitter Post Pushes Turkey's Buttons A Twitter message that suggested the interim government in Cairo might recognize the Armenian genocide exposed a raw nerve in Turkey. Egypt
UN Leader's Visit to Israel Shows Waning US Influence in Mideast UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's visit to the region and his meetings with Israeli leaders show how the West is losing control over Middle East events. Israel
Is Hypernationalism The New Islamism? Islamism in the Middle East may have met a match in the hypernationalism taking hold in Egypt and Syria. Egypt
Maliki's Own Party Urges Him Not to Run Leaders in the State of Law Coalition, led by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, are trying to convince the prime minister not to run in the upcoming legislative elections, fearing that it could spell the end of the coalition itself. Iraq
