The Guardian reports that Jewish Home MKs walked out of a speech at the Knesset yesterday by European Parliament President Martin Schulz, accusing him of “lies” over discrepancies in water consumption in the West Bank between Israelis and Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disputed the statistics quoted by Schulz and said critics of Israel often suffer from “selective hearing.” In his speech, Schulz pledged European Union (EU) support for Israel and reiterated that it does not support boycotts.

The Independent and Independent i both include an interview with acclaimed British photographer and director Rankin. He claims actress Scarlett Johansson had little choice but to support SodaStream in the furore over its West Bank factory, because of a powerful Jewish lobby in the US entertainment industry. He said that “in America, the Jewish zealots are so powerful” and claimed that those who oppose their views are blacklisted.

The Independent i and online edition of the Guardian both report that actress Natalie Portman is making her directorial debut filming a biopic of Israeli author Amos Oz in Jerusalem. Some local ultra-Orthodox residents have objected to the filming in neighbourhoods in which they live.

The Independent reports that Walt Disney has sacked Wael Mansour, an Egyptian radio personality, from providing the voice of Donald Duck across Arab parts of the Middle East. Mansour tweeted his hope that Israel would be destroyed. The company called his views “repellent.”

The Telegraph online says that in a new biography of former-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, it is claimed that in 1972, he ordered the eviction of around 3,000 Bedouin from lands in the Sinai Peninsula, to make way for a major army training exercise. Israel’s Chief of Staff apparently later ordered that the Bedouin return.

In Syria, the Independent online reports that dozens of men evacuated from the besieged city of Homs, under an agreement between government and opposition representatives, have been detained by Syrian army troops. Foreign Secretary William Hague described their detention as “outrageous.” The Telegraph online says Syrian forces and Hezbollah troops are bombarding the town of Yabroud, an opposition stronghold near the Lebanese border.

The Times online says the head of the Egyptian army will travel to Moscow to seal an arms deal which will see Egypt purchase billions of dollars worth of Russian military hardware. The deal is viewed as a sign that Egypt is distancing itself further from the United States.

In a comment piece at the Guardian online, Hamid Babaei, a senior Iranian diplomat serving in the United States says that the upcoming nuclear talks between Iran and the international community can succeed, if there is the “political will” to do so.

In the Israeli media, the controversy over yesterday’s walk-out by Jewish Home Knesset members during a speech by European Parliament President Martin Schulz is covered prominently in Haaretz and Israel Hayom. Meanwhile, Makor Rishon and Maariv focus on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s take on the incident. In Yediot Ahronot and Maariv, Yoaz Hendel and Ben-Dror Yemini respectively provide statistics to counter Schulz’s suggestions over water provision.

Yediot Ahronot, Maariv, Haaretz, Makor Rishon and Israel Hayom all lead with the news that Israel’s Attorney General will bring charges of bribery against prominent and well-connected Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto. However, the case against commander of the Israel Police Lahav 443 Unit, Cmdr. Menashe Arbib, who Pinto is said to have attempted to bribe, has been suspended for the time being.

Meanwhile, Maariv reports that unnamed Israeli officials have said that if Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogan does insist that Israel provide a written commitment to end restrictions on the Gaza Strip, then the agreement to restore ties between Israel and Turkey will not be concluded. Talks have been taking place over compensation for the families of nine Turkish citizens killed on the Mavi Marmara Gaza protest vessel in 2010, to pave the way for relations to be repaired.