Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar is severing all contact with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas over reports she compared Israel's treatment of Palestinians to apartheid. Sa'ar demands a retraction of the alleged remarks, which Kallas has not directly addressed, instead calling for dialogue. The dispute highlights ongoing EU criticism of Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank.
Israel-EU diplomatic severance
- ▪Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced on June 18, 2026, that he was severing "all contact" with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas
- ▪Gideon Sa'ar accused Kaja Kallas of "acting obsessively and with blatant unfairness toward the State of Israel."
Kallas apartheid comparison remarks
- ▪In January, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights office concluded that Israel was violating international law prohibiting racial segregation and apartheid
- ▪Kaja Kallas allegedly made the remarks during a visit to Mexico in May, according to a June 12 report by Euractiv citing unnamed officials
- ▪The diplomatic dispute was prompted by reports that Kaja Kallas compared Israel's treatment of Palestinians to South Africa's former apartheid system
Sa'ar demands retraction
- ▪Gideon Sa'ar stated the severance of contact would last until Kaja Kallas retracts the comments, which he described as a "blood libel."
- ▪After Kaja Kallas's public response, Gideon Sa'ar noted she avoided denying the attributed comments and reaffirmed his decision to cut ties
EU commitment to Israel
- ▪Kaja Kallas reiterated the EU's support for a two-state solution and its condemnation of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank
- ▪In May, the EU sanctioned three individuals and four entities for "serious and systematic human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank."
- ▪In a public response on X, Kaja Kallas emphasized dialogue and a constructive relationship but did not directly address the apartheid comparison
Story comments
Loading comments…