Israeli Foreign Minister Ends All Contact With EU’s Top Diplomat
A serious diplomatic rift between Israel Cuts and the European Union intensified on Thursday after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar publicly announced the suspension of all communication with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.
Sa’ar justified the decision by pointing to reports that Kallas had privately likened Israeli policy toward Palestinians to the apartheid system that governed South Africa until the early 1990s remarks she has declined to deny, confirm, or address publicly.
The Alleged Remarks: What Kallas Said in Mexico City
According to a report by EU affairs outlet Euractiv, Kallas made the comparison during closed-door sessions with senior Mexican government officials in Mexico City between May 20 and 22, 2026, as part of an official EU diplomatic visit to Latin America.
Diplomatic sources present at the meetings told Euractiv that Kallas described being deeply affected by a personal visit to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa, and drew parallels between historical South African racial segregation and the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
Neither Kallas nor her office has issued any formal denial, clarification, or official response to the published report since it emerged.
Sa’ar Calls It a “Blood Libel,” Demands Full Retraction
Writing on X, Sa’ar was explicit and unsparing in his response. He accused Kallas of demonstrating persistent and deeply unfair hostility toward the Jewish state over a sustained period, stating that her silence following the publication of the alleged remarks left him no alternative.
Sa’ar declared he would maintain the freeze on contact until Kallas formally withdraws what he described as a defamatory and baseless attack on Israel Cuts.
He stated his position plainly: if the remarks were made, she should stand behind them publicly; if they were not made, she should deny them directly. Until either happens, he said, his decision would not change.
The Israel Cuts foreign minister also acknowledged the number of European elected officials who had already condemned the reported comparison, calling their response an important signal.
Kallas Responds But Avoids the Core Question
Kallas replied to Sa’ar on X the same day, reaffirming the EU’s desire for an ongoing and productive relationship with Israel. She stressed that dialogue remained the foundation of diplomacy, particularly when disagreements arise between partners.
However, her response made no reference whatsoever to the apartheid comparison, drawing immediate criticism from Sa’ar, who noted publicly that her silence on the central allegation was itself telling.
The EU’s foreign affairs spokesman also declined to deny the substance of the Euractiv report when pressed by journalists, citing an unwillingness to respond to claims from unnamed sources.
A Pattern of Deteriorating Relations
Thursday’s breakdown did not occur in isolation. Israel Cuts previously boycotted Kallas’ predecessor, Josep Borrell, over his strongly critical positions on Israeli military conduct and settlement policy.
Kallas, a former Prime Minister of Estonia who assumed the EU foreign policy role in December 2024, had initially been viewed in Jerusalem as a more balanced voice compared to some of her EU counterparts.
However, Israeli officials say her tone shifted considerably over the past year, reflecting a broader hardening of the EU’s collective stance toward Israel.
Earlier this week, Kallas had indicated that the EU was exploring measures to restrict trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, following pressure from a number of EU member states.
Several EU governments have called for personal sanctions against Israel Cuts National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, but the proposal has so far failed to gain consensus across the 27-member bloc.
What Happens Next
The suspension of contact between Israel’s foreign minister and the EU’s top diplomat represents a significant new low in a relationship that has been under strain since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict in October 2023.
With no denial forthcoming from Kallas and no indication from Sa’ar that his position will soften without one, the diplomatic freeze between Jerusalem and Brussels appears set to continue for the foreseeable future.
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