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 clamps down on media and broadcast networks covering protests In order to reduce coverage of the protests in Iraq, the government has shut down several TV channels and warned others. Iraq
Israel v. Netanyahu: The real letter of indictment The damaging strategic policy decisions made by indicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are even more criminal than the corruption-related charges for which he has been indicted, causing damage to Israel's defense and diplomacy. Palestine
Withholding Palestinians’ remains not befitting Israel Caretaker Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, perhaps trying to maximize his time in office, has offered up discarded ideas on security that put Israel in the position of violating human rights and dignity. Palestine
Israel's spastic shifts in fishing zones endanger Palestinians Israel continues to reduce and expand the allowable fishing zones off the Gaza Strip, as its gunboats target Palestinian fishermen. Originals
Former top Turkish minister promises new party by year-end Ali Babacan, once a confidant of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, says he’s building a mainstream political movement to restore the country’s international reputation and bolster its democratic credentials, but analysts wonder if it can draw enough support to challenge the ruling party. Turkey
Syrian Kurdish refugees spout fury at Turkey’s Erdogan At the Bardarash refugee camp in Iraqi Kurdistan, where over 10,000 Syrian Kurds are currently sheltering, any mention of Turkey prompts fury and disgust. Iraq
New Israeli election would complicate Palestinian vote While both Palestinians and Israelis seem to be headed for elections, the Israeli political crisis could heavily obstruct the Palestinian contest, further pro-settlement interests and aggravate the situation in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Turkish-Saudi animosity spills over into cultural sphere A new multimillion-dollar series on a Saudi TV channel broadcast across the Middle East depicts Ottomans as tyrants who ravaged the Arab world. Saudi Arabia
Who helps former ultra-Orthodox integrate into Israeli way of life? Israelis who leave the ultra-Orthodox way of life find themselves without basic education, psychological support or career prospects. Israel
Russia, Palestine seek to upgrade relationship While commemorating over four decades of relations, Russia seeks to strengthen cultural ties with Palestine. Palestine
Why this TV series causes high drama between Cairo, Ankara After a decade of Ottoman splendors shown in popular Turkish soap operas, "Kingdoms of Fire" casts Selim, the Grim as the villain. Saudi Arabia
Israel, Palestinians show signs of good faith in Gaza Analysts are cautiously noting steps by both Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza toward implementing the truce understandings reached last year to avoid another round of violence. Palestine
