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Media Summary

Iran holds Presidential elections

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The Times reports that two former heads of Mossad, Danny Yatom and Shabtai Shavit, have urged Israel to withhold intelligence from the US following allegations that US President Donald Trump passed classified information to Russian diplomats. The newspaper also reports that President Trump has to prove he is ready for complex statecraft as he begins his nine-day tour of the Middle East today in Saudi Arabia, before visiting Israel on Monday.

The Guardian features an article by Sarah Helm arguing that if the West is truly interested in peace and alleviating the situation in Gaza, it must start “talking to Hamas and push it to moderate further”.

The i reports on the Iranian Presidential election taking place today, as hardliners express optimism that conservative candidate Ebrahim Raisi will defeat incumbent President Hassan Rouhani due to his campaign’s focus on social and economic issues.

The BBC reports that Gaza is in the dark, with mains electricity switched off for 16 to 20 hours a day as the Palestinian Authority refuses to pay Hamas’s energy bills.

Maariv, Haaretz and Yediot Ahronot prominently cover President Trump’s domestic challenges and the investigation against him. Yediot Ahronot includes the details of the President’s itinerary for his visit to Israel next week.  Israel Hayom suggests that there is still a chance Prime Minister Netanyahu will accompany President Trump for the private visit to the Western Wall.

All the Israeli papers report on the riot close to Hawara in the West Bank and the shooting that lead to the death of a Palestinian. Maariv,  Yediot Ahronot and Israel Hayom all include the account of the Itamar resident who fearing for his life  and that he faced a lynch, said he was “saved by a miracle”.

Haaretz preview the Presidential elections in Iran and profile the candidates as a choice between a hawk and moderate. The paper assesses a close race, between the current president and pragmatist Hassan Rouhani ,and the hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi.

Yediot Ahronot note that the temporary appointment of Tzachi Hanegbi as Communications Minister expires on Sunday, and that Prime Minister Netanyahu is finding it difficult to appoint a permanent replacement.

Haaretz reports on the US airstrikes on pro-Assad Shia militia in southern Syria: “US official said the strike hit a tank and a bulldozer and forces there, but it was not clear if they were Syrian army troops or other pro-government allies.”

Maariv reports on the case of Housing Minister Uri Ariel, from the Jewish Home party, who has been accused of corruption and syphoning off funds from his ministry.  He claims the allegations are “without a slither of truth”. Israel Hayom report that following the State comptroller’s report, the police will launch an investigation.

Yediot Ahronot report on a stormy protest yesterday in Tel Aviv by hundreds of disabled people, complaining that their disability allowance is lower than the minimum wage.