Israel says it's cutting ties to EU's Kaja Kallas
Israel's foreign minister says he is severing contact with the EU's foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas. Gideon Saar attributed the move to a media report
Israel's foreign minister says he is severing contact with the EU's foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas. Gideon Saar attributed the move to a media report alleging that Kallas compared Israel to apartheid-era South Africa. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Thursday said he was cutting ties to the EU's foreign policy representative Kaja Kallas, challenging her to address a Euractiv media report claiming that she compared Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to Apartheid South Africa in a visit to Mexico last month. The move comes amid strain on EU relations with Israel amid the conflicts that followed the October 7, 2023 attacks and more longstanding points of disagreement like Israeli settlement-building in occupied Palestinian territory. It also coincides with Kallas, formerly the Estonian prime minister, facing internal pressure and reports of dissatisfaction with her performance from several European governments for other gaffes or perceived mistakes in her role atop the European External Action Service (EEAS). What did Saar say about cutting ties to Kallas? Saar prefaced his comments online by saying that, "for some time now," Kallas had been "acting obsessively and with blatant unfairness toward the State of Israel." He then alluded to the June 12 report from Euractiv alleging that she had compared Israel's treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank to the behavior of South Africa's apartheid regime.
"I am grateful to the many European elected representatives who condemned this grave statement," Saar said, later sharing some such comments, including one from German Christian Democrat veteran Armin Laschet. "However, to date, no denial, clarification or response has been issued by her regarding this severe statement." He said he therefore had "no choice but to sever all contact with Ms. Kallas until she retracts the blood libel she directed at the world's only Jewish state, which is also the only democracy in the Middle East." How did Kallas respond? EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kallas responded addressing Saar by his first name but without directly tagging him or his comments online. "Dear Gideon, as you know, the EU and Israel have a lot that binds us," she said. "I value our dialogue and engagement, and I'm open to continue in that spirit, respectfully and constructively." She said the EU was "always committed" to a constructive relationship with Israel. "To bring peace to the Middle East, the Two-State Solution is the only viable path," she wrote. "The EU has condemned the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank that make it increasingly difficult to get to that goal. That is the EU position." Earlier in the week, Kallas had said that the EU would explore options for restricting trade with Israeli settlements following calls from several member countries.
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