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 backstory to Hifter's march on Tripoli Libya has been in a constant state of civil war for five years, and the unique patterns of the Libyan civil war must not be forgotten as we parse its latest developments. The recent march on Tripoli by Khalifa Hifter's forces is more about media optics and projecting power, than about precipitating a blood bath for control of the capital. Libya
Putin plays Syria card in Israeli, Turkish elections Russian President Vladimir Putin may be the winner with regard to his influence in Syria. Israel
How Iran’s 'justice shares' impede state divestment from the economy The Iranian government’s "justice share" scheme has impeded divestment of state involvement in the economy, further complicating efforts to institute genuine privatization. Iran
Istanbul on brink of bankruptcy Turkish President Erdogan has repeatedly said, “If we lose Istanbul, we lose Turkey,” but he indeed may have lost it electorally and in terms of financial accountability. Turkey
Turkey’s emerging artists dwell in dystopia The Mamut Art Project, an annual platform for young artists, reflects the new generation’s concerns on immigration, gay rights and the destruction of nature in the country. Turkey
Iraqi boy risks all to rescue Yazidi woman from Islamic State Teenage Diya Hamad told Al-Monitor the heroic tale of how he rescued his Yazidi friend from abuse by the Islamic State, following her into danger even as his own family reached safety. Iraq
Local election results will complicate Turkey’s security choices Despite electoral losses suffered by the alliance led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the nationalists in that alliance were able to improve their standing, which will surely affect Erdogan's future security choices. Turkey
As US peace plan rollout approaches, Palestinians voice rejection Even before the long-touted US Middle East peace plan is announced, Palestinian officials have already rejected the deal, saying it will inevitably favor Israel. Palestine
Iran stumping for support among Iraqi tribal sheikhs Top Iranian officials have been traveling to Iraq to woo tribal leaders and build influence there. Iraq
Has the clock run out for Netanyahu? Many factors will help determine the outcome of Israeli elections, including general apathy and whether voters feel that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has overstayed his welcome. Israel
Where did Israeli-Russian vote go? Several parties estimate that the “million” immigrants from Russia have been living in Israel long enough to adopt the voting patterns of the general public. Israel
Salary saga continues for PA employees in Gaza The Hamas movement has begun disbursing $350 to Palestinian Authority employees who have not received their salaries from Ramallah since earlier in the year. Originals
