* Dichter: Egypt giving Hamas legitimacy Public Security Minister Avi Dichter on Wednesday criticized both Israel and Egypt for their handling of the situation in the Gaza Strip.

* Top Syrian emissary: We won’t sever ties with Iran for peace with Israel Syria will not sever ties with Iran and Hezbollah even as part of a possible peace agreement with Israel.

* ‘Disclosure sends message to Iran’ US President George W. Bush said Tuesday that his administration broke its silence last week over Israel’s strike on an alleged Syrian nuclear site.

* Iran dumps U.S. dollar for oil trades Iran, OPEC’s second-largest producer, has stopped conducting oil transactions in U.S. dollars.

* Palestinian factions in Gaza agree in principle to cease-fire A dozen small Palestinian factions agreed in principle to a cease-fire with Israel on Wednesday.

* Rightists ‘fix’ flag ahead of Israel’s 60 On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day and a week before Israel’s 60th Independence Day celebrations, the rightists have decided to redesign the Israel flag.

* Holocaust Remembrance Day to begin tonight at Yad Vashem Israel will pause Wednesday night in memory of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, as the country marks the start of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

* Major anti-Semitic attacks triple in 2007 A 6.6% rise in the number of anti-Semitic attacks has been registered across the world in 2007.

* Quartet to discuss ME conference The possibility of holding an international conference in Moscow sometime in June is expected to be one of the main issues the Quartet will discuss.

* EU warns Russia against boosting troops in Georgian breakaway regions In a sharp escalation of tensions in the South Caucasus, Russia has claimed that Georgia is set to invade its breakaway region of Abkhazia.