Key facts
- Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar is severing all contact with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
- The decision stems from alleged remarks by Kallas comparing Israel to apartheid-era South Africa.
- Saar demanded Kallas retract the comments, calling them a 'blood libel'.
- Kallas responded by emphasizing the EU's commitment to dialogue and a two-state solution.
- Kallas did not specifically deny or retract the alleged apartheid comment.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced 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 posted on social media that he had "no choice but to sever all contact" with Kallas until she retracted the "blood libel" she directed at Israel. He noted that no denial or clarification had been issued by her regarding the reported statement.
In response, Kallas said she valued "dialogue and engagement" with Israel and that the EU remained committed to a "constructive relationship." However, she made no specific mention of the reported apartheid comment. Kallas reiterated the EU's position that a two-state solution remains the "only viable path" to peace in the Middle East and condemned illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.