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
Women at Forefront Of Egypt’s Revolutionary Wave The role of women in Egypt’s transition will be a barometer of progress and democratic change. Egypt
Turkey’s Kurdish Question Extends to Syria The Justice and Development Party (AKP) government is struggling with whether its interests are better served by jihadists or Kurdish groups controlling areas of northern Syria. Syria
Leap of Faith Needed For Israeli-Palestinian Talks Palestinians may have secured a prisoner release, but not much else. Palestine
Kerry Delivers Ambiguity To Shuttle Diplomacy Kerry's mission and the failure to resume the negotiations on a more firm and clear basis than those tried before are examined. Palestine
The Rise of 'Cleric Militias' in Iraq In recent years, Iraq has witnessed a rise in militias led by Shiite clerics, with some fearing that Sunnis may soon follow suit, thus exacerbating the regional sectarian conflict. Iraq
Predictable Ending Ahead For Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations? If history is a guide, the Obama administration is unlikely to find success in its latest effort involving renewed Israeli-Palestinian direct negotiations. Palestine
Can Netanyahu, Abu Mazen Make Peace? Israelis and Palestinians have agreed on renewing negotiations, but the obstacles constitute an endless list of questions for which answers have been found, but will leaders agree to implement them? Palestine
The Struggle for Syrian Kurdistan Al-Monitor covers Syrian Kurdistan, the rebel siege of Aleppo, maids in Saudi Arabia and the Iraqi sex trade. Saudi Arabia
Nasrallah's Calculated Moderation Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah has adopted a more moderate approach, which some believe aims to diversify the party's allies and thwart the Western political war against it. Lebanon
The Gul Alternative to Erdogan Turkey’s president has positioned himself as a unifier following the Gezi Park protests. Turkey
The Jihadist Threat in Egypt's Sinai The threat from violent Islamic groups in the Sinai has only worsened since the ouster of former President Mohammed Morsi. Egypt
Kerry’s Best Kept Secret On the Middle East The US uses its “invisible hand” for the latest mini-breakthrough in Israel. Palestine
