Israel’s Netanyahu scolds 'hostile' EU ahead of Bulgaria trip

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu criticised the EU's "hypocritical and hostile attitude" on Thursday as he left for talks with four eastern European leaders in Bulgaria.

Netanyahu has regularly made such comments against the European Union, which is critical of Israel's occupation and illegal settlement building in the West Bank.

To counter such criticism, he has sought alliances with sympathetic EU countries including Hungary, whose far-right nationalist stance has been a thorn in Brussels' side.

In July, Netanyahu welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Israel, despite the outcry over the visiting leader's past remarks that have been interpreted as anti-Semitic.

"I leave now to a summit of countries, and I will meet with my friends, the prime ministers of Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and the Serbian president," Netanyahu said on Thursday.

"This is not just a meeting of friends," he added. "It is also a bloc of countries with whom I want to promote my policy, to change the hypocritical and hostile attitude of the EU."

Netanyahu made similar comments before leaving for a Baltic summit in August.

Earlier this year, Bulgaria assured Israel it would open an honorary consulate in Jerusalem, but said it would not move its embassy there until an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is signed.

In September, leaders in the Czech Republic endorsed a "first step" towards moving the country's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, following a similar move by the US administration earlier this year.

Beyond the conflict with the Palestinians, the Israeli premier has also been eager to convince European countries to exert more pressure on Iran.

EU countries have been at odds with the United States since it pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers and re-imposed sanctions - something long advocated by Israel.