JERUSALEM — Israel's prime minister is calling on the European Union to label the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah a "terrorist organization."

Benjamin Netanyahu issued his appeal on Thursday during a meeting with the visiting EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton. EU members Britain, Germany and France have all joined a push in the group to list Hezbollah as terrorist, though a consensus has not been reached.

While Netanyahu has made similar calls before, he used the meeting with Ashton to push his case, saying Hezbollah should be sanctioned for its involvement in the Syrian civil war and suspected attacks in Europe.

Netanyahu says "if Hezbollah isn't a terrorist organization, I don't know what a terrorist organization is." He accused the group of "butchering people left and right across the world."