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
Iraq War Lessons, a Decade Later Iraq's embrace of democracy since the 2003 war has set the stage for sectarian politics and instability by heightening internal tensions and inviting outside interference in times of crisis, writes Nassif Hitti. Iraq
Palestinian Women Face Violence, Discrimination Lana Shehadeh writes from Ramallah on the discrimination and violence women face in Palestinian society. Palestine
Iranians Mixed on Candidacy Of Khatami Susan Modaress reports from Tehran on reactions to a possible run by former President Mohammad Khatami in the June presidential elections. Iran
Gaza on Brink of Water Crisis Scarce rainfall, coupled with the Israeli blockade, have limited Gaza’s ability to address its water shortage and poor sanitation, reports Hazem Balousha. Palestine
Al-Qaeda in Iraq Targets Baghdad's Green Zone Al-Qaeda in Iraq has increased its violent attacks to exploit the political and sectarian turmoil gripping the nation, focusing on the Green Zone in Baghdad, writes Mushreq Abbas. Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan Region Showcases Culture on Nowruz In light of the relative autonomy the Iraqi Kurdistan region has gained over the years, the region has begun to showcase its own unique culture through events like its annual Nowruz festival, writes Abdel Hamid Zebari. Iraq
Israel-Turkey Strategic Ties Show Signs of Thawing Jean-Loup Samaan writes that the Israel-Turkey split is not really grounded in substance but rather in the personal ties of their leaders, and that a thaw may be in the works. Israel
New Israeli Defense Minister Seeks Leaner, Smarter Force Budget cuts offer the new defense minister Moshe (Bogie) Ya'alon an opportunity to complete the visionary process he began as chief of staff: to shrink the clunky land army and make the IDF more relevant, given the challenges it faces, writes Alon Ben David. Israel
Hezbollah Again Postpones General Congress Hezbollah's decision to again delay its general congress may be linked in part to regional developments, including Bahrain and Syria, writes an Al-Monitor correspondent in Beirut. Lebanon
Erdogan Softens Zionism Remarks As Obama Lands in Israel Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s attempt to clarify earlier remarks on Zionism may aim in part to repair ties with the United States, which have also been strained by Ankara's refusal to hand over an al-Qaeda official to US authorities, writes Tulin Daloglu. Israel
Iraq: Mixed Legacy In Saddam's Hometown Tikrit, Saddam Hussein’s hometown, has paid dearly for its association to the former dictator, with residents feeling isolated and marginalized from the Iraqi political process, writes Ali Abel Sadah. Iraq
New Iraqi Budget Deepens Housing Crisis Iraq’s most disadvantaged residents continue to suffer from a housing shortage, as the government’s 2013 budget has decreased allocations for home loans, writes Omar al-Shaher. Iraq
