Sa'ar cuts off contact with EU foreign policy chief over apartheid comparison

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on Thursday that he would sever contact with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, escalating a sharp diplomatic clash between Israel and Europe. His move came a week after reports that Kallas had compared Israel to apartheid-era South Africa during a visit to Mexico.

In his statement, Sa'ar accused Kallas of acting for some time with "obsession" and "shameful dishonesty" against Israel. He said he was grateful to European lawmakers who condemned the remarks, but added that Kallas had offered no denial, response or clarification. "As the foreign minister of the State of Israel I have no choice but to cut off all contact with Ms. Kallas," he said, "until she retracts the blood libel she leveled against the only Jewish state, which is also the only democracy in the Middle East."

Former Knesset member Emilie Moatti criticized Sa'ar's decision, calling it diplomatic amateurism and arguing that the government itself has damaged Israel's standing abroad. She said the real response should be to change government policy, stop what she called "the parade of horrors" led by Itamar Ben Gvir, and end "Jewish terror" in the West Bank.

Israel has also previously boycotted Kallas' predecessor, Josep Borrell. The article noted that Kallas, once seen as relatively balanced toward Israel, has shifted over the past year, like most EU leaders. She became Estonia's first female prime minister in January 2021.