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
Could Israeli-Palestinian confederation bring peace? The US negotiation team should examine the possibility of an Israeli-Palestinian confederation, with or without Jordan. Palestine
Unemployment pushes Palestinians to work in Israel Many Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where jobs are scarce and low-paying, enter Israel to find work, and those who are truly desperate end up building the very settlements they seek to end. Palestine
Yemen war leaves harsh impact on education The ongoing war in Yemen has led to the destruction of schools across the country, leaving millions of children without education. Saudi Arabia
Arab Israelis lament community violence as lawmakers point at police Arab Israeli lawmakers say that the high crime rates in their communities can largely be blamed on police negligence, but their constituents quietly acknowledge the reality is more complicated. Israel
Turkey funds job training for Syrian youth The Turkish government and the local council in Marea, a town in the northern countryside of Aleppo, have opened a training center to help young people find work. Syria
Why Netanyahu keeps Oslo Accords alive Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implemented successfully his plan of preserving the Oslo interim agreement, while distancing any possibility for a two-state solution. Palestine
The sin of Likud's young leader: meeting with Abbas The dismissal of the deputy head of Likud’s Young Guard over his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas indicates how much the party has radicalized in recent years. Palestine
Turkey’s options limited as world awaits Idlib operation The international community sounds ever more frantic begging the Syrian regime to stop its deadly advance on Idlib, the rebel-held province that will likely produce millions more refugees as it is retaken by the government's forces. Syria
Iranian baby bottoms smacked as sanctions, hoarding create diaper crisis Diaper prices have doubled as the product joins the growing list of goods experiencing sudden price jumps in Iran as the nation struggles with sanctions and currency issues. Iran
Turkey and Germany huddle over looming Idlib operation German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas’s visit to Ankara will, above all, serve as a platform for the two countries to discuss major military action expected in the last Syrian rebel stronghold of Idlib. Syria
Doubts surround Turkey’s efforts to revive its EU membership bid A Western diplomat says Ankara is unlikely to enact democratic reforms that would ease President Erdogan’s grip on power. Turkey
Shiite split heats up as Iraqi lawmakers fail to elect speaker Two Iraqi Shiite coalitions — one favored by the United States and the other by Iran — are competing hard to gain a majority in the parliament to form the next government. Iraq
