THE European Union said today that it had cancelled a diplomatic reception to prevent an ultra-nationalist Israeli minister from attending.

The act of protest by the EU’s delegation to Israel against a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, the most religious and ultra-nationalist in the country’s history, could cause a diplomatic spat between Israel and the EU.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the leader of the Jewish Power faction, serves as Israel’s security minister and was due to represent the government at the EU’s Europe Day event on Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said on Sunday that Mr Ben-Gvir had been assigned to attend “not as a representative of the Jewish Power party ... but to represent the government of Israel.”

The EU said that it decided “to cancel the diplomatic reception, as we do not want to offer a platform to someone whose views contradict the values the European Union stands for.”

The remainder of the public event would take place as scheduled.

Mr Ben-Gvir is a far-right activist and hard-line West Bank settler who has been convicted of incitement and support for a Jewish terror group. 

“It’s a shame that the EU, which pretends to represent democratic values and multiculturalism, behaves with undiplomatic gagging,” Mr Ben-Gvir said in response.