Israel cuts ‘all contact’ with Kaja Kallas over apartheid comments

Israel’s foreign minister said on Thursday that he has “no choice but to sever all contact” with the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, until she retracts comments comparing Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to apartheid-era South Africa.

Euractiv reported last week that Kallas – the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and a vice-president of the European Commission – made the comparison in meetings with Mexican government representatives during a visit to Mexico last month.

“I am grateful to the many European elected representatives who condemned this grave statement,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar posted on X on Thursday.

“However, to date, no denial, clarification or response has been issued by her regarding this severe statement. Therefore, as the Foreign Minister of the State of Israel, 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 added that Kallas has for some time been acting “obsessively and with blatant unfairness” towards Israel.

An official in Jerusalem told Euractiv that the measures were directed against Kallas personally after she failed to respond for six days after the comments were first reported, and that Israel will continue to engage with the European External Action Service (which Kallas leads) and the European Commission.

Kallas responded to the move with a post on X on Thursday.

“Dear Gideon, as you know, the EU and Israel have a lot that binds us,” Kallas wrote. “I value our dialogue and engagement, and I’m open to continue in that spirit, respectfully and constructively. Dialogue is the foundation of diplomacy, especially when differences arise. The EU is always committed to a constructive relationship with Israel. 

“To bring peace to the Middle East, the Two-State Solution remains the only viable path. 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.”

Sa’ar wrote back to Kallas on X on Thursday: “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.”

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Commission spokespeople refused to confirm or deny whether Kallas made the comparison to apartheid.

Anouar El Anouni, the Commission’s foreign affairs spokesperson, said that the EU remains “committed to a constructive relationship with Israel” and that “dialogue is the foundation of diplomacy, especially when differences arise”.

Asked about Kallas’ ability to steer EU foreign policy – given reports of officials working for European Council President António Costa trying to establish communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin – El Anouni said that Kallas “is delivering 100% on her mandate”.

Armin Laschet, the chair of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, was among those to criticise Kallas’ comments last week.

“If EU member states continue to allow Ms Kallas to undermine European foreign policy week after week through ill-judged remarks, we risk a serious return to unilateral national approaches that would weaken Europe’s influence in the world,” Laschet said last week.

Björn Stritzel and Magnus Lund Nielsen contributed reporting.

(cs, vc)

This story has been updated.