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
US ‘Public Diplomacy’ Funded By Private US Companies Cash-short State Department gets private money to fund outreach to Middle East youth. Originals
Syria and the Lebanon Model Nassif Hitti asks whether the "Lebanon model," which breeds fragile and sectarian democracies, is suited for Syria. Lebanon
Kurdish Women in Turkey Struggle for Rights Kurdish women struggle for their rights as both Kurds and women in Turkey, writes Sibel Utku Bila. Turkey
Bibi’s Choice After Election Will Set Course for Israel Assuming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes out on top in next week’s elections, his choice about who to include in the governing coalition will affect Israel for years to come, writes Shai Feldman. Israel
Flooding Brings Misery For West Bank Residents Recent flooding has led to frustration among West Bank residents with poor planning and services provided by Palestinian Authority, writes Linah Alsaafin. Palestine
Syrian Refugees in Lebanon Try to Keep Hope Nasser Chararah reports on a young Syrian couple in Beirut who have fled from the conflict in Syria and, despite the tough conditions, maintain optimism that they will one day return. Lebanon
Salafists Vow to Fight Until There Is 'Islamic State in Syria' In a rare interview, an Ahrar al-Shams fighter tells Al-Monitor that the goal of his Salafi group is to establish an Islamic state in Syria and that "We will not let go until we achieve our goal." He explained that most of his comrades “don’t know anything” about the external Syrian opposition, and that he believes Turkey is profiting from the war. Syria
Paris Killings Highlight Kurdish, Regional Issues for Turkey The murders of three PKK activists in Paris highlight the centrality of the Kurdish issues in Turkey, Iraq and Syria, writes Cengiz Candar. Turkey
What Next for PUK, Iraqi Kurdistan? Iraqi Kurdish leaders are holding intensive meetings to address Iraqi Kurdish politics in the absence of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, writes Abdel Hamid Zebari. Iraq
Iraqi Protests Escalate, Enter Third Week As anti-Maliki protests in Iraq enter their third week, the demonstrations are increasing in size, and all sides are urging calm and restraint, writes Ali Abel Sadah. Iraq
Israeli Security Sources Anticipate Third Intifada As the deadlock in negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians persists, the signs of a popular uprising in the West Bank can already be sensed, writes Reuven Pedatzur. Palestine
Iraqi Border Closures Affect Commerce in Sunni Regions Iraq's decision to close border crossings in Sunni regions bordering Syria may be primarily for security, but it is also taking an economic toll, writes Omar al-Shaher. Iraq
