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
Musical Bridges Between Israel and Turkey Israeli musician Yinon Muallem, who has been living in Istanbul for more than a decade, succeeds in using his music to bring Israelis and Turks closer. Israel
EU Puts Hezbollah on Notice The European Union moves toward designating Hezbollah a terrorist organization as its arms embargo on Syria is allowed to lapse. Lebanon
Ankara Demonizes Hezbollah Ankara’s tough, religiously nuanced reactions to Shiite Hezbollah only reinforce perceptions of Turkey’s pro-Sunni foreign policies in the Middle East and Syria. Turkey
The Consequences of 'Bogie' Killing Abu Jihad “Show of Force” was a successful Israeli operation killing Fatah Military Chief Abu Jihad, but did it not also kill a potential peace partner? Palestine
Turkey, Iran Struggle To Keep Up Appearances Ankara and Tehran ties are strained over Syria and Hezbollah. Turkey
Emirati Sent to Jail Over 'False Tweets' UAE media law allows wide latitude for crackdown on critical reporting. United Arab Emirates
Barghouti: Arab peace plan damages Palestinian cause In an exclusive written interview, jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti warns that the alternative to a two-state solution is a conflict "with no middle ground." Palestine
The Missing Syrian Peace US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are still working on the invitation list for Geneva II. Qatar
How We Lost The Syrian Revolution A Syrian activist in Aleppo laments the lost revolution as he reveals the sense of betrayal felt after rebels looted and ravaged his city. Syria
Egypt Cracks Down On Insults to Religion Egypt's media and unviversities are under pressure from government censors. Egypt
Is the Two-State Solution Bankrupt? (Take Two) The current political climate in Israel favors continuation of the settlement enterprise in the West Bank, pushing away any chance of a "two-state solution." Palestine
Palestinian Stock Exchange Lacks Public Regulation It's time for the Palestinian Securities Exchange, the first Arab stock exchange to be privately owned, to become a public company. Palestine
