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
Why the Iranian government must modernize its cash management system The Rouhani administration ought to modernize its cash management with a Treasury Single Account to combat corrupt practices, eliminate a lack of discipline in public finance and ensure adequate fund flow to critical sectors of the economy. Iran
Iranians open homes to travelers stranded by floods While criticizing the government for its inadequate response to the deadly flooding that has ravaged the country, ordinary Iranians are engaging in spontaneous relief efforts for the stranded and the displaced. Iran
What’s in store for Turkish economy after local polls? Once Turkey’s March 31 local elections are over, Ankara is expected to focus on restoring the confidence of foreign investors — an uphill task that will require bitter pills to redress economic balances. Turkey
Iraq begins painful task of identifying IS victims in mass graves With help from the United Nations, the Iraqi government has begun exhuming the mass graves of thousands of Yazidis killed by the Islamic State. Iraq
Nervous Riyadh anxious about Algiers The Saudi Kingdom watches cautiously as Algerian protesters bring back the 2019 version of the Arab Spring to demand an open political system. Saudi Arabia
King Abdullah stands strong on Jerusalem The Jordanian monarch won wide support from Jordanians and Palestinians for cancelling an important trip to Romania after its prime minister promised to move the country's embassy to Jerusalem. Palestine
Israel should see Abbas as a partner for peace Israeli right-wing politicians actually hope for an outburst of violence in the West Bank, even if all politicians know that there is a path to peace with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Palestine
Why Israelis ignore 40th anniversary of peace with Egypt Forty years after Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed the peace treaty, Israelis sideline this achievement and prefer to ignore that relations with an Arab nation can change. Egypt
Gaza rocket rattles Netanyahu’s campaign The rocket that hit a home in the center of Israel and wounded seven citizens also shook Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Mr. Security image and rocked his election campaign, yet he's far from defeated. Israel
Gaza and Blue and White put Netanyahu on the defensive As Israel’s most experienced campaigner, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to realize that the days leading up to the election could be lethal to his image as Mr. Security. Palestine
Yogurt: The Turks' other delight Home-made yogurt, the common denominator in the varied Turkish cuisine, is making a comeback thanks to today's health food trends. Turkey
House Democrats skeptical of Trump’s Golan Heights shake up Republicans want to codify President Donald Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights into law, but even the staunchest pro-Israel Democrats have reservations. Israel
