ANKARA, Turkey: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a 鈥渢hief鈥� and a 鈥渢yrant鈥� in the latest spat between the two leaders.

The dispute comes after Erdogan's spokesman denounced Netanyahu as a racist for saying that Israel was the nation-state of the Jewish people only. Netanyahu then struck back calling Erdogan a dictator and criticizing the country for imprisoning journalists.

Speaking at an election campaign rally on Wednesday, Erdogan addressed Netanyahu as "the thief who heads Israel" in reference to corruption allegations against him.

Erdogan continued: 鈥測ou are a tyrant. You are a tyrant who slaughters 7-year-old Palestinian kids.鈥�

Israel and Turkey were once close allies. But under Erdogan, Turkey has become the most vocal critic of Israel's policies toward Palestinians.

In the same day Netanyahu slammed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a 鈥渄ictator鈥� and 鈥渁 joke.鈥�
Turkey on Tuesday denounced Netanyahu鈥檚 鈥渂latant racism鈥� after he called Israel the nation-state of 鈥渢he Jewish people鈥� only, not all its citizens.
Netanyahu鈥檚 initial comment had come amid an online spat sparked by Israel鈥檚 right-wing firebrand culture minister Miri Regev, ahead of April elections and subsequently joined by Israeli Hollywood star Gal Gadot.
Regev, a member of Netanyahu鈥檚 right-wing Likud party, had in a TV interview warned voters not to support its main rival because it would ally with Israeli Arab parties 鈥� a highly unlikely scenario.
Israeli model and actress Rotem Sela responded on Instagram, asking: 鈥淲hen the hell will someone in this government convey to the public that Israel is a state of all its citizens and that all people were created equal?鈥�
Netanyahu reacted with his own Instagram post, telling Sela: 鈥淚srael is not a state of all its citizens.鈥�
鈥淎ccording to the basic nationality law we passed, Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people 鈥� and only it,鈥� he said, referring to a deeply controversial piece of legislation passed by his right-wing government last year.
Gadot, star of 鈥淲onder Woman,鈥� jumped to Sela鈥檚 defense.
鈥淟ove your neighbor as yourself,鈥� Gadot wrote on Instagram late Sunday.
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 a matter of right or left. Jew or Arab. Secular or religious,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a matter of dialogue, of dialogue for peace and security and of our tolerance of one toward the other.鈥�
On Tuesday, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin weighed in on Netanyahu鈥檚 comments.
Writing on Twitter in both Turkish and English, he said: 鈥淚 strongly condemn this blatant racism and discrimination.鈥�
Netanyahu struck back in a statement from his office early Wednesday.
鈥淭urkey鈥檚 dictator Erdogan attacks Israel鈥檚 democracy while Turkish journalists and judges fill his prisons,鈥� it read.
鈥淲hat a joke!鈥�
Kalin was swift to respond on Twitter, accusing Netanyahu of attacking Erdogan 鈥渇or exposing him鈥� after the Israeli premier鈥檚 鈥渞acist remarks鈥� toward Arabs and Muslims.
鈥淭he apartheid state he leads occupies Palestinian lands, kills women & children & imprisons Palestinians in their own land,鈥� he wrote.
鈥淟ies and pressure will not hide your crimes.鈥�
Turkey and Israel have tense relations and Erdogan, who regards himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause, is a vocal critic of Israeli policies.
The two countries in 2016 ended a six-year rift triggered by the Israeli storming of a Gaza-bound ship that left 10 Turkish activists dead and led to a downgrading of diplomatic ties.
Netanyahu has been accused by critics of demonizing Israeli Arabs, who make up some 17.5 percent of the population, in a bid to boost right-wing turnout for April polls.
He is facing a tough challenge from a centrist political alliance led by former military chief of staff Benny Gantz and ex-finance minister Yair Lapid.
After the polls, he will also face a hearing to defend himself against corruption allegations which have dogged his campaign.