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
The Egyptian Opposition Puts Referendum in Perspective H. A. Hellyer examines past electoral results for the Egyptian opposition and how it can increase its base of support in future elections. Egypt
Tunisian Salafis on the Rise Mischa Benoit-Lavelle reports from Tunis on the rise of Salafis in Tunisia and the possibility of the country becoming a terrorist training ground. Tunisia
Egypt’s ‘Post-Democracy’ Nears Point of No Return Wael Nawara writes that Egypt’s political crisis could lead to chaos or the intervention of the military unless the government and opposition agree to work together. Egypt
Israel's Prime Minister Has Several Fronts to Worry About Warnings that Syria's chemical weapons may fall into the wrong hands are raising concerns in Israel of a regional conflict, writes Ben Caspit. Israel
Open Letter to Yaakov Peri: 'Don't Forsake Our Political Path' Akiva Eldar writes to his friend Yaakov Peri, calling upon the former head of Shin Beth and renowned peacemaker, not to forsake peace once he officially enters the Israeli parliament. Israel
Iran Cracks Down on Journalists Ahead of Elections Omid Memarian talks to reporters in Iran who escaped arrest about the most aggressive raid on independent media since 2009, and about attempts to sever contact with the outside world. Iran
Ben-Eliezer Slams Yachimovich For the Labor Party's Failure Veteran Knesset Member Binyamin (Fouad) Ben-Eliezer talks about his frustration and anger over the election results and the missed opportunities by Labor Party leader Shelly Yachimovich in a special interview with Mazal Mualem. Israel
Intel Israel: Pioneer Employer of Women Intel Israel General Manager Maxine Fassberg tells Tali Heruti-Sover about her struggles in the male-dominated high-tech industry — which needs "equal opportunities for men and women alike to enter the industry and move on side by side." Israel
Hamas Vows Crackdown On Collaborators With Israel The Hamas government in Gaza has vowed to end the presence of Gazans who collaborate with Israel in 2013, while trying to repair its reputation in dealing with the accused, reports Adnan Abu Amer. Palestine
Salafist Leader Goes SkiingTo Broaden Support in Lebanon Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir recently journeyed to the Lebanese resort of Faraya to go skiing in a public-relations effort to depict himself as part of a new generation of Salafist leaders and to broaden his base of support, writes Nasser Chararah. Lebanon
Turkey’s Syrian Dilemma Turkey is struggling with a Syria policy that has served only to prolong the conflict, as Ankara finds itself at odds with Paris over both Mali and Syria, writes Semih Idiz. Turkey
Turkish Opposition Party Criticizes Kurdish Initiative Turkish opposition leaders claim Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s talks with imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan lack transparency and a clear endgame, writes Tulin Daloglu. Turkey
