BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced on Thursday that Israel is suspending all contact with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas after reports alleged that she compared Israel’s policies toward Palestinians to South Africa’s former apartheid regime.
In a statement posted on social media, Saar said he had decided to sever all official communication with Kallas until she publicly retracts the reported remarks. He accused the EU’s top diplomat of making an unfair and offensive comparison that, in his view, misrepresented Israel and undermined relations between Jerusalem and the European Union.
According to Saar, Kallas reportedly likened Israel to South Africa during the apartheid era while speaking during a visit to Mexico. He described the alleged comments as unacceptable and said they crossed a diplomatic line that made continued engagement impossible unless clarified or withdrawn.
“There will be no contact with Kaja Kallas until she retracts her remarks,” Saar said, accusing the EU foreign policy chief of comparing Israel to what he called “the racist apartheid regime” that once ruled South Africa.
Kallas’ office did not immediately respond publicly to Saar’s announcement or address the allegations regarding the reported remarks.
Following his initial statement, Saar shared several social media posts referencing a June 12 report by the European news outlet Euractiv. The report, citing unnamed European officials and diplomats, claimed that during her visit to Mexico, Kallas compared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip to policies implemented by South Africa under apartheid, the former system of legally enforced racial segregation that lasted until the early 1990s.
The reported comments have added fresh strain to relations between Israel and the European Union, which have become increasingly tense over the conflict in Gaza, Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank and broader disagreements over Israeli government policies toward Palestinians.
The European Union has repeatedly criticized Israel’s continued expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. The bloc maintains that the settlements are illegal under international law and represent a significant obstacle to achieving a negotiated two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. Israel disputes that interpretation and has consistently defended its settlement policies.
In May, the European Union imposed sanctions on three individuals and four organizations that it said were responsible for serious and systematic human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank. The sanctions included asset freezes and travel restrictions as part of the bloc’s effort to hold individuals accountable for violence and abuses in the territory.
At the time, Saar strongly rejected the sanctions, saying Israel viewed the decision as unjustified and politically motivated. He argued that the measures ignored Israel’s security concerns and unfairly targeted Israeli citizens.
The European Union has also expressed increasing concern over Israel’s military operations in Gaza. While EU leaders have consistently reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself following attacks by Hamas, they have also called for greater protection of civilians, increased humanitarian access and adherence to international humanitarian law during military operations.
However, the 27-member European Union remains divided in its approach toward Israel. Several member states have taken an increasingly critical stance, urging stronger measures in response to the humanitarian situation in Gaza and developments in the West Bank. Other countries continue to maintain close political, economic and security ties with Israel and have resisted efforts to adopt tougher collective measures.
The differences among EU member states have complicated efforts to present a unified European position on the conflict, often resulting in carefully negotiated statements that balance support for Israel’s security with criticism of its policies.
In his latest comments, Saar accused Kallas of displaying what he described as an obsessive and openly unfair attitude toward the State of Israel. He argued that the reported comparison demonstrated bias and damaged the credibility of the European Union’s foreign policy leadership.
The diplomatic dispute comes at a time of heightened regional tensions and ongoing international scrutiny of the war in Gaza, with relations between Israel and several European governments facing growing pressure over the humanitarian consequences of the conflict and the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations.
Original article
Comments