Bad atmosphere between Israel, increasingly isolated, and Europe. The Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday the severance of contacts with the head of diplomacy of the European Union Kaja Kallas, accusing her of having compared her country to the former racist South African regime.
“Recently, it was reported that during her visit to Mexico, she compared Israel to the apartheid regime that existed in South Africa,” Gideon Saar wrote on his X account: “However, at present, she has not posted any denial, no clarification or response regarding this serious statement.”
« Le crime rituel »
“Therefore, as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel, I have no choice but to cut off all contact with Kaja Kallas until she retracts,” he added, comparing such statements to ” a ritual crime.”
“Ritual crime” is an anti-Semitic slander dating back at least to the Middle Ages, according to which Jews murder non-Jewish children for the needs of their worship. Diplomatic relations between Israel and the European Union have deteriorated since the start of the war in Gaza, triggered by a Hamas attack in October 2023, and due to violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Possible European sanctions
According to the media Euractiv, the European official made these statements during a closed-door speech to Mexican government officials, on the sidelines of a visit to that country last month.
The Israeli minister’s statements come after Kaja Kallas said this week that she would again request that the European Commission, responsible for trade policy in the EU, make a proposal for possible sanctions against exports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, supported by several member countries.
