Israel says it will sever contact with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas over reported apartheid remark

Israel's foreign minister has said he will sever all contact with the European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, after reports that she compared Israel to South Africa's former apartheid system. Gideon Sa'ar said he had "no choice" but to take the step unless Kallas retracts the alleged comment. Kallas responded by saying the EU remained committed to a constructive relationship with Israel and to dialogue and engagement.

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Sa'ar said on social media that Kallas had not denied, clarified or responded to what he described as a severe statement. He said he would sever contact with her until she retracts what he called a blood libel against Israel. Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister, did not address the reported apartheid comparison directly in her reply.

Instead, she said the EU position was that a two-state solution remained the only viable path to peace in the Middle East. The exchange comes against the backdrop of long-running EU criticism of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Kallas said the settlements were illegal and made it increasingly difficult to reach a two-state outcome.

The dispute also lands at a sensitive moment in wider Middle East diplomacy, with the EU seeking to maintain channels with Israel while also pressing its position on the conflict. The reported remark was said to have been made during a trip to Mexico in May, where Kallas met senior Mexican government officials as part of an EU effort to deepen cooperation with Latin America. That detail adds to the significance of the row because it suggests the dispute is not only about one public comment, but also about the tone of EU external relations more broadly.

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It also highlights the pressure on senior EU figures to balance criticism of Israeli policy with continued diplomatic engagement. The two-state solution remains the central international framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, although agreement on its terms has proved elusive. Kallas referred to it as the only viable path, while Sa'ar's response shows how sharply Israel is reacting to language it sees as delegitimising.

The row also reflects the wider strain created by the war in Gaza, which began after the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023 and has since reshaped regional diplomacy. What remains unclear is whether Kallas will issue any further clarification or denial, and whether Israel's move will affect practical EU-Israel contacts beyond the foreign minister level. It is also not clear whether the reported comment will be formally addressed in any institutional EU setting.

For now, the dispute appears to be escalating rhetorically while leaving open the question of how much damage it will do to day-to-day diplomacy.

#Israel #EuropeanUnion #KajaKallas #GideonSaar #diplomacy

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