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
Chill to Remain in Turkey-Israel Ties Tulin Daloglu observes that the Israeli elections are unlikely to produce any change in Israeli-Turkish ties. Israel
Exiled Egyptian Jews Skeptical Of Brotherhood's Invitation Home The call by a Muslim Brotherhood official for Egyptian Jews to return to their homeland has stirred spirits in Cairo, but the Jews themselves question the sincerity of the proposal and its relevance, writes Jacky Hugi. Egypt
Prospects for Negotiations After the Israeli Elections An analysis of the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations after the elections. Palestine
Israel's Election Results: Mirage or Reality? Clovis Maksoud examines the results of the Israeli elections and calls for Palestinian unity. Israel
Allies in Libya, Enemies in Mali Ali Hashem comments on the roots of the conflict in Mali, the connections to the campaign which overthrew Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and the terrorist insurgency that is dividing Mali and destabilizing North Africa. Libya
Iraq Sends Mixed Signals on Syria Iraqi Shiites have not been quick to endorse the Syrian uprising, partly out of fear of the rise of Salafist groups, writes Mushreq Abbas. Iraq
Jordanians Head to the Polls With Little Enthusiasm Jordanians showed little enthusiasm for the elections on Wednesday, signaling a potentially low turnout, Fernande van Tets reports. Jordan
Qatar's Brotherhood Ties Alienate Fellow Gulf States Sultan Al Qassemi analyzes how Qatar’s relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood is affecting its ties with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the region. Qatar
Conditions in Israeli Prisons Take Toll on Palestinian Families Palestinians thrown into Israeli prisons are deprived of the rights their Israeli counterparts receive, with families often kept apart for decades with no hope of reuniting, writes Linah Alsaafin. Palestine
Saudi Conservative Women Feel Marginalized by Shura Council Snub Saudi Arabia was hailed this month for appointing 30 women to its Shura Council, but leading conservative women have expressed disappointment at not being included in the royal list, Ahmed al-Omran writes. Saudi Arabia
Palestinians Smiling, If Unsure About Israeli Election Results Daoud Kuttab assesses the mixed reactions of Palestinians to the Israeli elections. Palestine
What Was the Israeli Election Really About? Akiva Eldar breaks down the meaning of Israel's election results and finds both a crisis of leadership and a crisis of faith in democracy. Israel
