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
Why Obama Should PlaceA Wreath at Arafat’s Grave Daoud Kuttab calls on US President Barack Obama to pay his respects at the grave of Yasser Arafat when he visits the West Bank next week. Palestine
Syria, Two Years and Counting Nassif Hitti writes that time is working against Syria as the situation worsens by the day. Lebanon
Suicide Attack Targets 'Symbol of Justice' in Iraq The March 14 suicide attack on the Ministry of Justice has only heightened tensions in an already divided Iraq, writes Omar al-Shaher. Iraq
Disappointment for the 'New Iraq' Ten years after the end of Saddam Hussein's regime, many Iraqis feel disappointed that not much progress has been made, writes Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Iraq
Netanyahu's New Strongman Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid may head Israel’s second-largest party, but it is HaBayit HaYehudi chairman Naftali Bennett who actually holds the ''keys to the coalition kingdom'' in his pocket, writes Mazal Mualem. Israel
The Impossible Conversation Between Netanyahu and Obama Ben Caspit describes what the meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama would look like, if only they were telling each other the naked truth. Israel
Kurdish Negotiators Seek To Lower Expectations The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) expects confidence-building measures and is seeking to lower expectations in its talks with Turkey, writes Kadri Gursel. Turkey
Erdogan Set To Be Turkey's Longest-Serving Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will become Turkey's longest-serving prime minister next week, after more than ten years without interruption, reports Tulin Daloglu. Turkey
US, Iran Teams Head to Istanbul For Nuclear-Experts Talks Arms-control officials from Iran and six world powers are heading to Istanbul to discuss a new nuclear proposal as Iranian leaders intensify debate about possible direct US talks, reports Laura Rozen. Iran
Syrian Conflict Extends To Border With Israel Syrian opposition forces are battling for control of regions near the Israeli border, threatening a conflict with that country, reports Nasser Chararah. Israel
The New Pope and Palestine Palestinians are hoping Pope Francis will continue the Vatican's support for the Palestinian cause, Daoud Kuttab writes. Palestine
Questions About Turkish Justice Semih Idiz writes about the state of judicial reform in Turkey. Turkey
