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
Peace Is Israel's Best Security Guarantee Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should look back to the peace agreement with Egypt, which proves that compromise strengthens Israel's borders and guarantees its security. Egypt
Will the US Join Egyptian Coalition Bandwagon? Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s struggle against the Muslim Brotherhood has given rise to a rare coalition: the new transitional Egyptian leadership, the Arab world and Israel. Egypt
After Bombing, Basra Governor Sees 'Political' Price to Pay A truck bomb explosion on the Basra docks exposes the tenuous security situation, and Basra's governor says, "The city is paying the price for the political differences in the country." Iraq
Obama Administration Has Options For Iran Sanctions Relief If there is progress in nuclear talks with Iran, the Obama administration has enough executive discretion for sanctions relief, even if it's nearly impossible to revoke the Iran Sanctions Act. Iran
Is a Power Struggle Brewing Between Erdogan and Gulen? A major struggle between the two most important players in Turkish politics could be on the horizon. Turkey
Patriarch Asks Turkey to End Stalemate Over Shuttered Seminary The ecumenical patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church has his fingers crossed that the Turkish government will reopen the theological seminary on Istanbul’s Halki Island. Turkey
Syria's Alawites Torn Between Regime, Opposition While many analysts inside and outside Syria seem to assume Syrian Alawites support President Bashar al-Assad’s Baathist regime, the reality on the ground is much more nuanced. Syria
Iran's Petroleum Industry Welcomes Zanganeh's Return as Minister The appointment of Bijan Namdar Zanganeh as petroleum minister brings hopes and expectations for overdue reforms. Iran
Gaza Valley Faces Environmental Disaster Once a vibrant natural reserve, Wadi Gaza is suffering from local neglect and Israel's blockade. Palestine
Najaf Seminary Plays Role Of Iraqi Opposition The multiple failings of the Iraqi government have given Najaf the opportunity to play the opposition’s role. Iraq
Has Hamas Abandoned Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood? The Hamas leadership would find it hard to explain abandoning their "mother movement" — the Muslim Brotherhood — to its fate, without even a vocal protest. Palestine
Palestinian-Israeli Talks Remaining Low Profile Amid ongoing regional turmoil, the peace talks brokered by the United States are out of the spotlight. Palestine
![Destroyed Egyptian armour lines the sides of a Sinai road after it was hit by Israeli jet fighters during the 1967 Six Day War. [In six days Israel took control of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Sinai and the Golan Heights as well as "unifying" Jerusalem by capturing East Jerusalem and the Old City, thus increasing Israel's land mass dramatically. It also became burdened with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians along with the land it captured.] Israel celebrates its 50th Golden Jubilee anniversary on Apr](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2013/08/Sinai.jpg/Sinai.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=K5reP4aE)
