Germany on Tuesday poured cold water on calls to suspend the EU's cooperation deal with Israel, despite rising anger over the war in Lebanon and the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Spain and Ireland had put the issue of halting the agreement back on the table at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
But German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called the proposal "inappropriate".
"We have to talk with Israel about the critical issues," he said at the start of the meeting.
"That has to be done in a critical, constructive dialogue with Israel. That is what we stand for."
Attitudes towards Israel among EU member states, already hardened over its conduct in the war in Gaza, stiffened further after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and a new law on the death penalty for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
"We need to act. We need to make sure that our fundamental values are protected," Irish foreign minister Helen McEntee said.
Facing alarm at the civilian toll exacted in the Gaza war, the EU last year already put on the table a raft of potential measures to punish Israel, including cutting trade ties or sanctioning government ministers.
But so far none of the steps laid out by Brussels has garnered enough support from member states to be put into action.
Suspending the entirety of the EU's cooperation agreement, as Spain and Ireland are pushing for, requires unanimity among the bloc's 27 countries and would almost certainly be blocked by allies of Israel.
More feasible could be suspending the part of the deal facilitating closer trade ties, a move that only requires support from a weighted majority of EU countries.
That would require a shift in position from EU heavyweights such as Germany or Italy.
Rome has already signaled a tougher line on Israel by suspending a defense agreement.
But EU officials and diplomats said it seemed there would not be sufficient support to take those actions, especially after a ceasefire was agreed in Lebanon.
"If the opinions of the member states have changed, then we can move forward with these decisions," said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
France and Sweden meanwhile re-upped an earlier call from some other EU countries for the bloc to consider halting the import of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law.
