Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced Thursday that he is cutting off all contact with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, after she reportedly compared Israel to apartheid-era South Africa during closed-door meetings in Mexico City.
In a post on his X account, Sa'ar wrote, "Ms. Kaja Kallas, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has for some time been acting with obsessive and deeply dishonest hostility toward the State of Israel. It has recently been made public that during her visit to Mexico, she compared Israel to the racist apartheid regime that existed in South Africa. I am grateful to the many elected European officials who have expressed reservations and condemned these grave remarks. However, Kallas has thus far refrained from any denial, response, or clarification regarding these statements. Therefore, as Israel's Foreign Minister, I have no choice but to sever all ties with Ms. Kallas until she retracts the blood libel she has leveled at the only Jewish state, which is also the only democracy in the Middle East."
According to a report published by EURACTIV, Kallas compared Israel's treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and Judea and Samaria to the apartheid policies that ended in South Africa in the early 1990s. The report stated the comparison was made during closed meetings with senior Mexican government officials in Mexico City, as part of a working visit she conducted between May 20 and 22.
Anwar al-Anuni, the EU's foreign affairs spokesman, did not deny the remarks attributed to Kallas in his response to the report, saying, "I do not intend to address allegations coming from anonymous sources. The High Representative's position on the conflict is clear and publicly documented. It has been presented at a number of press conferences over recent weeks, and we will address it again next Monday, when foreign ministers convene in Luxembourg."
Kallas' appointment in 2024 was seen in Jerusalem as an opportunity to turn a new page in Israel-EU relations, after years of deep tension under Spaniard Josep Borrell, who was known for hishardline positions against Israel. In recent months, under pressure from EU member states, Kallas has allowed the advancement of diplomatic measures critical of Israel, including pushing for sanctions against Israeli ministers and settlers and a partial suspension of Israel's trade agreement with the EU.
