EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas has replied to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar following reports that she compared Israel to an apartheid regime. In a letter, Kallas declined to apologize for the comparison and reiterated the EU's official stance opposing Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria, calling a two-state solution the only viable path to peace.
EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas issued a written reply to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Thursday afternoon, addressing the diplomatic rift that emerged after reports surfaced that she had compared Israel to an apartheid regime. In her letter, published by the Abu Ali Express channel, Kallas did not apologize for the comparison and declined to retract it. Instead, she reiterated the European Union's official position that Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria are "illegal" and that a two-state solution "remains the only practical way" to achieve peace in the Middle East. The letter comes after Sa'ar publicly demanded an apology. Kallas's response is notably dismissive of Sa'ar's request — she does not mention the apartheid remark at all by name, and frames her reply around general principles of dialogue and mutual respect. As The Zioneer reported earlier today, the exchange underscores a deepening policy divide between Israel and the EU under Kallas's leadership, though both sides maintain the desire for continued engagement.
5 developments
- DevelopingSa'ar and EU foreign minister spar on X after she declares boycott of Israel
- DevelopingIsrael severs contact with EU foreign minister until she apologizes for 'apartheid' remark
- DevelopingEU Foreign Minister Kallas replies to Sa'ar: 'Dialogue is the basis of diplomacy'
- DevelopingEuropean Jewish leader accuses EU foreign policy chief of inciting antisemitism with 'apartheid' rhetoric
Source and signal
- Internal intake