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6h ago

Israel Severs Contact With EU Foreign Policy Chief Over Alleged Apartheid Comparison

The move follows a report that EU High Representative Kaja Kallas likened Israeli policies toward Palestinians to apartheid-era South Africa, risking a deeper diplomatic rift over settlements and recent EU sanctions.

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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar holds a press conference with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (not pictured) following their talks, in Berlin, Germany, May 5, 2026. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo
EU High Representative of Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, speaks during a conference with Israeli and Palestinian civil society groups to support a two-state solution, in Paris, France June 12, 2026. Thibault Camus/Pool via REUTERS
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar speaks during a meeting of the Subcommittee on Foreign Policy and Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, March 23, 2026.

Overview

  • Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced he is cutting all diplomatic contact with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and demanded a public retraction, calling the reported remark a "blood libel."
  • The allegation stems from a June report by Euractiv that quoted unnamed officials saying Kallas, during a Mexico visit, compared treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank to apartheid South Africa.
  • Kallas' office had no immediate comment on the report and the claim remains publicly unconfirmed because it relies on unnamed sources from a closed-door meeting.
  • The dispute comes on top of recent tensions between Israel and the EU, including May sanctions by the bloc on individuals and entities over alleged abuses in the West Bank and repeated EU criticism of settlement expansion.
  • If unresolved, the break in contact could hinder EU-Israel coordination on diplomacy, aid and security matters and may prompt sharper rhetoric from both sides as member states weigh their positions.