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
Bomb Shakes Hezbollah Stronghold A first-hand account from the Bir el-Abed neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs, the scene of a bombing today, July 9, which injured 53. Lebanon
Saudi Women in the Masculine State A Review of "A Most Masculine State" by Madawi Al-Rasheed. Saudi Arabia
Turkey’s Israel Problem The AKP government’s portrayal of Gezi Park protests as a "plot by the Jewish lobby" has negatively affected the normalization process with Israel. Israel
Erdogan Plays Headscarf Card Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken up the cause of his "covered sisters" to deflect attention from his own policies toward both the protesters and women. Turkey
Israeli Chief Rabbi Candidate Supports Ascending Temple Mount The leading candidate for Israeli chief rabbi is notorious for his provocative and divisive remarks and for his call to resume Passover sacrifice on the Temple Mount. Israel
The Blame for Egypt Goes to Morsi The military's firing on pro-Muslim Brotherhood protesters has escalated the crisis to a deadlier level, but it is former President Mohammed Morsi and the Brotherhood who got Egypt to this point. Egypt
The Message Behind The Bomb in South Beirut Given that the recent car bomb in Beirut’s southern suburbs occurred in a location that was part of Hezbollah’s security perimeter prior to the 2006 war, some may be trying to send a message that Hezbollah will pay a price for its involvement in Syria. Lebanon
International Community Reacts To Beirut Bombing In the wake of the car bombing in southern Beirut on July 9, international actors expressed their commitment to Lebanon’s security and stability. Lebanon
Israel Concerned By US Hesitancy in Egypt In view of American hesitant reactions to events in Egypt, Israeli officials wonder: Is the United States losing its grip on events in the Middle East? Egypt
What are Egypt's Lessons for Iraq? Having less to do with regional sectarian Sunni-Shiite disputes, Iraq’s political players should focus on the failure of political Islam in their analyses of the June 30 events in Egypt. Egypt
Egypt Upheaval Deepens Turkey’s Regional Isolation Ankara and Riyadh are at loggerheads over Egypt as the “Sunni Axis” collapses. Egypt
Morsi's Ouster Leaves Hezbollah Uncertain About Egypt Ties Hezbollah remains unsure of what to make of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi’s ouster. Egypt
