EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas responded publicly to her Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar on Thursday without apologizing for reportedly calling Israel an apartheid state. In a letter addressed to Sa'ar, she stressed the EU's commitment to dialogue and reaffirmed the bloc's opposition to 'illegal Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria' as obstacles to a two-state solution.
EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas issued a written reply to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Thursday afternoon, sidestepping the demand for an apology over remarks attributed to her in which she reportedly compared Israel to an apartheid regime.
Kallas did not address the apartheid comment directly. Instead, her letter emphasized dialogue as 'the basis of diplomacy' and stated the EU's commitment to maintaining a constructive relationship with Israel. She reiterated the bloc's position opposing 'illegal Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria,' describing them as an obstacle to the two-state solution — drawing an immediate response from Jerusalem.
The exchange is the latest chapter in a diplomatic crisis that the Zioneer has tracked since Thursday morning. Sa'ar earlier severed contact with Kallas until she apologized for the remark (as reported at 11:25 Jerusalem). Sa'ar then issued an open challenge to Kallas to 'stand by or deny' the accusation (13:55). At 14:37, the two sparred publicly on X, with Kallas declaring a boycott of contact with Sa'ar — a step Kallas's written letter now effectively walks back without retracting the underlying remark.
The EU's official position on settlements remains unchanged. Sa'ar has not yet responded to this latest letter.
2 developments
- StrongSa'ar demands Kallas clarify 'apartheid' remark: 'Stand by it or deny it'
- 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
- DevelopingEuropean Jewish leader accuses EU foreign policy chief of inciting antisemitism with 'apartheid' rhetoric
Source and signal
- Internal intake