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
Palestinians Tire of Israeli 'Games' on Settlements Palestinians are tired of being fooled, and want President Barack Obama to press Israel on its illegal settlements, Daoud Kuttab writes. Palestine
Palestinian Mother Speaks Out About Daughter’s Honor Killing Those who commit so-called honor crimes continue to receive light sentences in the Gaza Strip despite efforts to amend outdated laws in this regard, Asmaa al-Ghoul reports. Palestine
Netanyahu's New Security Team Lacks Experience Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet meetings will now include new, inexperienced members, and it is with them that he will have to make fateful decisions, writes Mazal Mualem. Israel
Obama's Real Reason For Visiting Israel President Barack Obama’s visit to Israel is not motivated by a desire to win over the Israeli public, writes Akiva Eldar, but rather by the need to salvage the standing of the United States as an influential power in the region. Israel
Iraq: The Illegal War Clovis Maksoud writes that there is nothing to celebrate in remembering the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War, except the removal of Saddam Hussein from power. Lebanon
Documenting the Plight Of Palestinian Female Prisoners A new book will recount the experiences of Palestinian women in Israeli prisons, highlighting the abuse that they faced and the challenges they have faced since being released, writes Naela Khalil. Palestine
Resignation Signals New Low For Turkish Journalism Hasan Cemal, after 45 years as a journalist, loses his job because of government pressure. Turkey
The Death of Journalism in Turkey Cengiz Candar writes that when veteran Turkish journalist Hasan Cemal resigned on March 18 from his 15-year stint with daily Milliyet after it refused to print his latest article, it was the death of decent journalism in Turkey. Turkey
IFC Cautiously Confident On Egypt Economy International Finance Corp. CEO Jin-Yong Cai spoke to Sarah el-Sirgany on the challenges for Egypt in attracting investment during his recent visit to the country. Egypt
Sectarianizing Foreign Policy In Egypt Mohamed Elmenshawy discusses the implications of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi’s sectarian foreign policy. Egypt
Iraqi Politicians Stoke Flames Of Religious Sectarianism Ten years after the American-led invasion of Iraq, the fabric of Iraqi society appears to be more frayed than ever, as politicians exploit renewed sectarian sentiments for personal gain, reports Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Iraq
Iran, Not Peace Process, Obama's Real Agenda in Israel President Barack Obama's visit will not revolve around peace but around war, argues Ben Caspit, as the US president comes to synchronize the atomic clocks on Iran. Israel
