Israel severs ties with top EU diplomat over apartheid comments

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Wednesday he is cutting all contact with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, following a report by European news outlet Euractiv that Kallas compared Israel's policies in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to the apartheid regime that ruled South Africa until the early 1990s.

In a post on X, Saar accused Kallas of a longstanding bias against Israel and described the reported comments as a "blood libel." He said Kallas had neither denied nor clarified the remarks, leaving him "no choice but to sever all contact" until she retracts them.

Kallas responded publicly, stressing that the EU remains committed to maintaining relations with Israel and that dialogue is the foundation of diplomacy, especially when differences arise. She reiterated the EU's support for a two-state solution and its opposition to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. However, she did not directly address the apartheid allegation.

Less than an hour later, Saar said Kallas's response did not change his decision, noting that she had not denied or condemned the apartheid comment attributed to her.

The diplomatic row comes amid growing international scrutiny of Israel's treatment of Palestinians, as its military operations continue in Gaza and frequent raids occur in the occupied West Bank. In January, the UN human rights office concluded that Israel is violating international laws prohibiting racial segregation and apartheid. A report found that Israeli authorities apply distinct laws and policies to Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank, resulting in unequal treatment on issues such as movement and access to land and water. The International Court of Justice, in its July 2024 advisory opinion, also found Israel's occupation unlawful and cited concerns over racial segregation and apartheid in the occupied Palestinian territory.