Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced Thursday that Israel was cutting ties with European Union (EU) foreign minister Kaja Kallas after she allegedly compared Israeli policies in Gaza and Judea and Samaria (West Bank) to those of South Africa during the apartheid era. Kallas reportedly made the remarks last month during an official EU visit to Mexico.
Sa’ar condemned the comparison in a post on ð•, saying Kallas “has been acting obsessively and with blatant injustice towards the state of Israel for some time now.” He added that “to date, she has not issued any denial, clarification or response regarding this serious statement.”
“I therefore have no choice but to cut off all contact with Kallas until she reverses the bloody slander she has leveled against the world’s only Jewish state, which is also the only democracy in the Middle East,” Sa’ar said.
Kallas responded on ð•: “Dialogue is the foundation of diplomacy, especially when differences arise. The EU remains committed to maintaining constructive relations with Israel. HAS”
She stressed that the European Union remained committed to the two-state solution and considered Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria to be “illegal” settlements and an obstacle to a peace agreement.
The Israeli foreign minister hinted at further criticism, writing: “Even in your remarks here, you refrain from denying or condemning what has been attributed to you and which has been published publicly. HAS”
“To my knowledge, the statements attributed to you regarding “apartheid†do not reflect the position of the European Union. HAS”
He added: “The question is simple: if you actually made these vile and defamatory comments, take responsibility for them. If you didn’t keep them, deny them. Until this matter is clarified, my decision will remain unchanged. HAS”
The term “apartheid” is sometimes used in international discourse to describe Israel, but it is also hotly contested and rejected by the Israeli government and its supporters. Jewish and Arab Israelis enjoy equal civil rights. Arab Israelis hold positions as senior officers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), ambassadors, lawmakers, technology executives, high-ranking judges and lawyers. Christians, Arab Muslims and Jews frequently work side by side in Israeli hospitals, businesses and other establishments. The Israeli population includes both Jewish and Arab Israelis, while Palestinians in Gaza and parts of the West Bank live under different authorities and legal frameworks.
Kallas, former Prime Minister of Estonia, became head of EU diplomacy in December 2024, succeeding Josep Borrell. In Jerusalem, it was initially hoped that her appointment could improve relations between Israel and the EU, partly based on statements she made following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack in southern Israel.
“Hamas is waging a merciless campaign of terror, with no regard for human life, including that of Palestinians.” a déclaré Kallas in November 2023. “Israel has every right to defend itself, but it must do so in a way that spares innocent lives and respects international law,” she added.
After her appointment, Kallas was more critical of Israeli military operations in Gaza, going so far as to describe them, in April 2025, as ” disproportionnées “, while reaffirming Israel’s right to self-defense. Last month, the EU also imposed new sanctions to people and entities it deemed linked to acts of violence allegedly committed by settlers.
