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's Border Becomes New Fault Line in Syrian War An ambush on the Iraq-Syria border that killed 62 Syrian soldiers and nine Iraqi guards has brought the Syrian civil war to Iraq, writes Mushreq Abbas. Iraq
Ancient Palestinian Village Threatened by Israeli Settlement The ancient village of Sebastia is losing tourism and agricultural income due to a neighboring Israeli settlement leaking raw sewage onto its fields and failing to protect historical sites, reports Dalia Hatuqa. Palestine
Iran's 'Radio David' Tries to Woo Israelis Shlomi Eldar comments on a Hebrew-language Iranian website intended to influence Israeli public opinion, recalling the Egyptian radio station that broadcast propaganda in Hebrew in the 60s. Egypt
Gaza Fishermen Protest Israeli Violations Gaza's fishermen and foreign activists protested on Sunday against Israel's continued harassment of fishermen, Abeer Ayyoub reports. Palestine
Strong Message of Support for Israel At AIPAC Conference As the Israeli lobby meets in Washington, both US parties are trying to prove they're more pro-Israel than the other, writes Clovis Maksoud. Israel
Harlem Shake, Mideast-Style The inventor of the original "Harlem Shake" once said his inspiration came from ancient Egypt, which means the dance has made it all the way back to its roots. From students in Tunisia to protesters in Egypt to the “harem shake,” watch videos of the craze that has taken over the Middle East and the globe. Pan Arab
Shas in the Opposition Shas is having difficulty accepting the idea that it will not be sitting at the government table, writes Mazal Mualem. Israel
The Myth of the Missed Opportunity In Israeli-Arab Peace Akiva Eldar examines the question of whether every diplomatic process that does not result in an agreement between the Arabs and Israelis should be considered a “missed opportunity.” Palestine
In Weak Economy, Iraqis Look for Government Jobs Amid a floundering job market, many Iraqis look to public-sector jobs as a means of stable, permanent employment, reports Omar al-Shaher. Iraq
Gaza Gas Can't Help Palestinians Despite extensive gas reserves off the coast of Gaza, the strip's residents are unable to benefit from their own resources, writes Omar Shaban. Palestine
Ocalan Scoop Stirs Turkish Media Namik Durukan's scoop in Milliyet about the meeting between the Kurdish deputies and imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan has provoked a debate about journalistic ethics and practice, writes Tulin Daloglu. Turkey
John Kerry's Syria File Secretary of State John Kerry, a veteran and critic of the Vietnam war, is now himself a decision maker regarding U.S. policy toward the civil war in Syria, writes Geoffrey Aronson. Syria
