EU rejects Israeli justice minister’s claim that bloc seeks to topple government in Tel Aviv

The EU on Thursday rejected claims by Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin that the bloc is working to bring down his government, describing the allegations as "entirely false, offensive and unacceptable."

Spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said the remarks attributed to Levin through his lawyer were baseless.

"The claims made by a lawyer representing Justice Minister Yariv Levin regarding the European Union are entirely false, offensive and unacceptable," El Anouni said during a European Commission's media briefing.

"I want to be clear from here, the European Union has never and will never attempt to bring down a democratically elected government, and we expect these comments to be withdrawn immediately," he added.

El Anouni also underlined that the EU is "proud" of its support for civil society organizations worldwide, including in the region.

He said the bloc backs organizations promoting democratic values that form the core of the EU's relationship with Israel, including freedom of speech and the freedom to protest.