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
Erdogan’s Egyptian Obsession Turkey considers restoring deposed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood to power as an existential quest. Egypt
Yemen Divided Over Egypt Following the Egyptian army’s ouster of former President Mohammed Morsi, Yemeni political forces are divided in their views and alliances. Yemen
When Nasser Came to Tahrir Square Contrary to the 1952 revolution, Egyptian protesters who brought down the current regime will not succumb to slogans, but they demand a real change of living conditions and personal freedom. Egypt
Thousands Stuck in Gaza Without Identity Cards As many as 35,000 Palestinians residing in Gaza are unable to leave the territory until Israel issues them identity cards. Palestine
Erdogan Plays Politics With Egypt's Coup The Turkish prime minister’s stance on Egypt is mostly about domestic politics. Egypt
Egypt’s Young Revolutionaries Uncertain About Future Many young Egyptians with the means to do so are leaving their country because of the instability and lack of jobs. Egypt
Barzani's Goodwill Baghdad Tour Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, met with Baghdad's key political leaders in an attempt to generate consensus and compromise. Iraq
Iraqi Law to Reform Political Financing Blocked in Parliament The Iraqi Council of Representatives is blocking a law that would create financial transparency for financing political parties. Iraq
PFLP Supports Egypt Coup Palestine's main leftist party has broken with the official Palestinian stance of neutrality and endorsed the removal of Mohammed Morsi from power. Palestine
Israeli Military Invests In Cyber Warfare The Israel Defense Forces shift emphasis away from conventional weaponry. Israel
Turkish Islamists Angered By Arab Gulf Stance on Egypt Turkey’s isolation over Egypt has forced it to rethink its regional policies. Legacy: Gulf
Israeli Settlement Harish A Dismal Failure Twenty years after it was first planned and built, Harish radiates despair and neglect, with no one to manage it or bring it alive. Israel
