Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has announced that he is suspending all contact with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas following reports that she compared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to apartheid-era South Africa, reports Reuters.
In a statement on social media, Saar said he would halt communication with Kallas until she withdrew the alleged remarks. He accused her of unfairly equating Israel with South Africa’s former system of legally enforced racial segregation.
The dispute follows a report published by Euractiv on 12 June, which cited unnamed diplomats and officials who claimed that, during a visit to Mexico, Kallas compared Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank to South Africa’s apartheid system. Kallas has not directly confirmed or denied making the comments.
In response to Saar’s decision, Kallas emphasised the importance of maintaining dialogue between the European Union and Israel. She said the two sides shared significant ties and expressed her willingness to continue discussions in a respectful and constructive manner, adding that diplomacy depends on engagement, especially during disagreements.
The dispute reflects wider tensions between Israel and the European Union over the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The EU has repeatedly criticised the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which much of the international community considers illegal under international law and a major obstacle to a negotiated two-state solution.
In May, the European Union imposed sanctions on three individuals and four organisations that it said were responsible for serious and systematic human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank. Israel strongly rejected the decision.
The EU has also criticised aspects of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza while continuing to recognise Israel’s right to defend itself following the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. However, the EU’s 27 member states remain divided in their approach, with some governments taking a more critical stance towards Israel and others maintaining close diplomatic relations.
Saar accused Kallas of displaying what he described as an obsessive and openly unfair attitude towards Israel.
Kallas defended the European Union’s position, stating that a two-state solution remains the only realistic route to achieving lasting peace in the Middle East. She also reiterated that the EU opposes Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, describing this as an established position of the bloc.
The diplomatic confrontation marks a further deterioration in relations between Israel and the EU’s foreign policy leadership, highlighting growing disagreements over the war in Gaza, settlements, and the broader future of Israeli–Palestinian relations.
Photo credit: REUTERS/Annegret Hilse
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