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
Iraqis Fear Return of 'Death Squads' To Baghdad Streets In light of escalating political crises and sectarian divisions in Iraq, some fear the return of Baghdad’s infamous "death squads," who reigned with terror over the past 10 years. Iraq
The Failure of Israel's Red Line Policy By drawing red lines it cannot keep, Israel is harming its credibility and its deterrence capability. Israel
Geneva II Talks on Syria Still Matter Although the Syrian opposition has refused to deal with Assad, Geneva II still represents the best chance for a diplomatic start to end to the war. Syria
Fears of Civil War Cripple Baghdad Commerce As sectarian violence and car bombings continue to flare up across Iraq, new limits on mobility have created roadblocks to the flow of commerce in the country. Iraq
Peres Holds False Hope For a 'Better Place' Will the fate of Israeli President Shimon Peres' vision of peace be any different from that of the Israeli electric car, which shattered in a resounding crash? Israel
Gaza Press Freedom in Spotlight After Columnist Arrested The backlash from the brief arrest of high-profile columnist Ibrahim Abrash continues, with Hamas targeted over freedom of speech. Palestine
Will There Be a Turkish Peace Dividend? The Kurdish peace process could bring changes to Turkey’s highly controversial and unchecked security policies and defense expenditures. Turkey
Gaza Fish Farms Face Closure An alternative source of local fish, scarce due to Israel's blockade, Gaza's fish farms are struggling to compete with cheaper Egyptian imports. Palestine
Syrian Fault LinesIn Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley The Syrian war has already come to Arsal and Hermel. Lebanon
Israeli Minister: 'A Palestinian State Is not the Solution' For Israeli Tourism Minister Uzi Landau: “One thing must be clear: A Palestinian state is not the solution." Palestine
Arab Israeli Women Fight Domestic Violence “Violence against women is not the whole of the problem, but just a symptom,” says Arab feminist activist Aida Tuma-Suliman. Israel
Iraqi Kurdish Opposition Parties Oppose Referendum Iraqi Kurdish opposition parties insist that Kurdistan region President Massoud Barzani submit the draft constitution to the parliament. Iraq
