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
Turkey Miscalculates Syria Turkey's policies on Syria over the past two years have reduced Ankara's diplomatic leverage in the region, writes Semih Idiz. Turkey
Beirut on the Brink With Lebanon's leading troika abroad for diplomatic sessions, sectarian rifts have begun to reappear, and fears are growing that Syria’s conflict could leak over the Lebanese border, writes Jean Aziz. Lebanon
Saudi Executions Spur Internal Debate The execution of seven men by firing squad last week has ignited debate within the conservative kingdom on its approach to capital punishment, Ahmed al-Omran writes. Saudi Arabia
Reading Khamenei Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei does not rule out US-Iran talks, but he does not trust Washington's intentions. Iran
Obama: The Master Of Iran's Red Lines Israelis should be assured by President Barack Obama on Iran, Meir Javedanfar writes from Tel Aviv. Iran
Iran’s Basij Militia Builds 'Resistance Economy' Iran’s Basij paramilitary force has been tasked with building the agricultural foundation of a "resistance economy" to combat sanctions, reports an Al-Monitor correspondent from Iran. Iran
Palestinian Disappointment Ahead of Obama's Visit Some Palestinians are planning creative protests for President Barack Obama's visit to the West Bank, Lena Odgaard reports. Palestine
Turkey in No Position To School Israel on Human Rights Until it comes terms with its own violations, Turkey should not offer lessons in human rights to other countries, writes Orhan Kemal Cengiz. Turkey
'The Mother of Martyrs' Leaves Bloody Legacy With the death of the “Mother of Martyrs,” Mariam Farhat, who sent her sons to commit suicide attacks in Israel, Shlomi Eldar hopes that her legacy of bloodshed will not survive her. Palestine
Obama’s March Madness in the Middle East President Barack Obama will realize on his trip this week that Israeli and Palestinian leaders do not have an interest in a peace process, writes Alon Pinkas. Palestine
Yemeni Art Scene Flourishes in Basement Young musicians and artists who often feel publically excoriated find peace and companionship at a cultural center in Sanaa, writes Janne Louise Andersen from Sanaa. Yemen
Turkey’s Kurdish Peace InitiativeLinked to Syria Turkey, both to protect itself from the potential negative consequences of regionalization of the Kurdish issue and to remove the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) as a threat, had no choice but to seek peace with its own Kurds, writes Kadri Gursel. Turkey
