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
Israeli Social Justice Movement Switches Gears Israelis no longer flock to the streets, yet the social protest is far from over and can still bring about political transformation. Israel
The Islamization of Turkey’s Foreign Ministry With recent legislative changes, AKP will now be able to appoint its cadres as ambassadors and give them senior posts in the Foreign Ministry. Turkey
Hamas Isolated, Exposed To Israel Post-Morsi Hamas fears Israel may take advantage of its newfound isolation. Palestine
US Outs Israel on Syria Attack? Blame Edward Snowden Why are the Americans providing the international media with information about alleged covert Israeli operations while the Europeans are ratcheting up the settlement boycott? Israel
Iraqi Politicians Push For More Power to Provinces The Iraqi parliament’s passing of the Provincial Powers Law has led to calls for the establishment of the Federation Council, which would further decentralize power as stipulated in the 2005 constitution. Iraq
Shiite Seminaries in Najaf, Qom Struggle With Dual Roles Shiite seminaries in Najaf and Qom struggle to balance between preserving Shiite identity, while at the same time maintaining their distance from any sectarian conflict and supporting Islamic unity. Iraq
Hamas Prevents Mass Pro-Bedouin Protest in Gaza Hamas internal police dispersed a large protest opposing Israel’s Brawer-Begin Bill, which will displace thousands of Palestinian Bedouins currently residing in Israel. Palestine
Rouhani Decides Honesty Best Policy On Iran's Economic Mess Iran’s new president looks to US-educated veterans to staff his cabinet and deal with Iran’s economic crisis and nuclear standoff. Iran
Squeaks in US-Israeli Relations Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comments on "Face the Nation" about what the US should do about Iran stir controversy. Israel
Exclusive: Zahar Rebuilds Ties Between Hamas and Iran Mahmoud al-Zahar is planning his comeback in the Hamas leadership, with the backing of Tehran and the Hamas armed wing Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Palestine
Illegal Marijuana Trade Thrives in Lebanon While the Lebanese government is preoccupied with domestic and regional conflicts, efforts to combat the country’s growing cannabis trade are put on the back burner. Lebanon
Visit to Southeast Turkey Offers Bleak View of Peace with Kurds A visit to villages in southeast Turkey provides a window on the challenges for the Turkish-PKK peace process. Turkey
