Key facts
- Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has severed all contact with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
- The decision stems from alleged remarks by Kallas comparing Israel's treatment of Palestinians to apartheid.
- Saar demanded Kallas retract the comments.
- The EU has previously sanctioned individuals and entities for human rights abuses in the West Bank.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced on Thursday that he is severing all contact with the European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas. Saar stated his decision was in response to alleged remarks made by Kallas comparing Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to the policies of apartheid-era South Africa during a visit to Mexico.
Saar shared posts on social media platform X, referencing a report by the European news website Euractiv. The report, citing unnamed officials and diplomats, indicated that Kallas had drawn the comparison. Saar demanded that Kallas retract the comments, stating he would not resume contact until she did so.
The European Union has previously criticized Israel's expansion of settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law. In May, the EU sanctioned three individuals and four entities for serious human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank, a decision that Saar firmly rejected at the time.