Israel severs ties with EU foreign policy chief over alleged 'apartheid' remarks

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced on Thursday that Israel is severing ties with European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas after she reportedly compared Israeli policies in Gaza and Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) to apartheid-era South Africa. Kallas reportedly made the remarks last month during an official EU visit to Mexico City.

Sa’ar condemned the comparison in a post on 𝕏, saying Kallas "has for some time now been acting obsessively and with blatant unfairness toward the State of Israel." He added that "to date, no denial, clarification or response has been issued by her regarding this severe statement."

“Therefore, I have 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,” Sa’ar said.

Kallas responded with a reply on 𝕏: “Dialogue is the foundation of diplomacy, especially when differences arise. The EU is always committed to a constructive relationship with Israel.”

She emphasized that the European Union remains committed to the two-state solution and considers Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria to be “illegal” settlements and an obstacle to a peace agreement.

The Israeli foreign minister signaled further criticism, writing: “Even in your remarks here you refrain from denying or condemning what has been attributed to you and published publicly.”

“To the best of my knowledge, the statements attributed to you regarding ‘apartheid’ do not reflect the position of the European Union.”

He added: “The matter is simple: if you did indeed make these vile and defamatory statements, stand behind them. If you did not make them, deny it. Until this matter is cleared up, my decision will remain unchanged.”

The term “apartheid” is sometimes used in international discourse to describe Israel, but it is also strongly disputed and rejected by the Israeli government and its supporters. Jewish and Arab Israelis enjoy equal civic rights. Arab Israelis serve as senior IDF officers, ambassadors, lawmakers, tech officials, senior judges and lawyers. Christians, Muslim Arabs and Jews frequently work side by side in Israeli hospitals, shops and other facilities. Israeli citizens include both Jewish and Arab Israelis, while Palestinians in Gaza and parts of the West Bank live under different governing authorities and legal frameworks.

Kallas, the former prime minister of Estonia, became EU foreign policy chief in December 2024, succeeding Josep Borrell. There were initially expectations in Jerusalem that her appointment could improve relations between Israel and the EU, based in part on statements she made following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel.

“Hamas is waging a ruthless campaign of terror with zero regard for human life, including the lives of Palestinians,” Kallas said in November 2023. “Israel is fully entitled to defend itself, but it must do so in a way that spares innocent lives and adheres to international law,” she added.

Following her appointment, Kallas became more critical of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, including comments in April 2025 describing them as “disproportionate,” while reiterating Israel’s right to self-defense. Last month, the EU also imposed new sanctions on individuals and entities it said were linked to alleged settler violence.