IRIA News

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Israel has cut all contact with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas following her reported comment in which she compared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to South Africa’s former apartheid system, triggering a new diplomatic dispute between Israel and the EU.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced the decision on June 18, 2026, accusing Kallas of bias against Israel after media reports claimed she made the comments during discussions with Mexican officials in May.

The controversy comes at a time of growing international scrutiny over Israel’s policies in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, with several international organizations and legal bodies raising concerns about discrimination, segregation, and violations of international law.

The dispute began after European news outlet Euractiv reported that Kallas had compared Israel’s policies toward Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to South Africa’s apartheid regime, which enforced racial segregation until the early 1990s.

Reacting to the report, Saar said Kallas had demonstrated a long-standing unfair attitude toward Israel and criticized her for not publicly denying the reported comments.

In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Saar said Kallas had been acting “obsessively and with blatant unfairness” toward Israel. He argued that her failure to reject the allegations left him with no alternative but to suspend communication with her office.

Dear Gideon, as you know, the EU and Israel have a lot that binds us. I value our dialogue and engagement, and I’m open to continue in that spirit, respectfully and constructively. Dialogue is the foundation of diplomacy, especially when differences arise. The EU is always…

— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) June 18, 2026

Saar described the reported comparison as a serious accusation and said diplomatic relations could not continue unless Kallas clarified or withdrew the remarks attributed to her.

Kallas Calls for Continued Dialogue

Kallas responded publicly, emphasizing the importance of maintaining diplomatic engagement between the European Union and Israel.

She noted that the EU and Israel share significant political, economic, and security ties and stressed that dialogue remains essential even during periods of disagreement.

“Dear Gideon, as you know, the EU and Israel have a lot that binds us,” Kallas wrote on X. “Dialogue is the foundation of diplomacy, especially when differences arise.”

However, Kallas did not directly address whether she had made the apartheid comparison reported by Euractiv.

She also reiterated the European Union’s long-standing support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and restated Brussels’ opposition to Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, which the EU considers illegal under international law.

Less than an hour after Kallas’s response, Saar confirmed that Israel’s position remained unchanged, arguing that she had still not denied or condemned the remarks attributed to her.

Growing International Scrutiny of Israel

Since the outbreak of the Israeli attack on Gaza and the war in Iran, Israel has faced increasing criticism from governments, human rights organizations, and international institutions regarding its military operations in Gaza and its policies in the occupied Palestinian territories.

International concern has also grown over continued settlement expansion, restrictions on Palestinian movement, access to resources, and recurring violence in parts of the occupied West Bank.

Several international bodies have recently published reports examining whether Israeli policies toward Palestinians violate international legal standards.

Separately, U.S. Vice President JD Vance also publicly criticized Israeli concerns about the ongoing U.S.-Iran peace deal. Vance said that there is a “weird panic” and “freakout” among Israeli officials. His comments came as the Trump administration sought to defend the agreement against criticism from both Israeli leaders and some members of the U.S. Congress.

Israeli officials across the political spectrum have expressed concerns that the agreement does not adequately address Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missile activities, or Tehran’s support for regional armed groups such as Hezbollah.

Speaking in an interview with The New York Times, Vance argued that some Israeli officials were assuming Iran would receive benefits from the agreement without changing its behavior. He emphasized that sanctions relief would remain tied to Iran meeting its obligations under the deal.

Vance suggested that criticism from Israel reflected a degree of mistrust toward Washington, despite decades of close cooperation between the two countries.

“I find this whole freakout in Israel a little bit odd because I think that it comes from a place of mistrust,” Vance said, adding that the United States had consistently supported Israel’s security interests.

President Donald Trump has also attempted to ease tensions over the agreement. During the G7 summit, he defended the understanding reached with Tehran and suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could adopt a “softer touch” in dealing with Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon.

UN Findings on Apartheid Allegations

The EU’s top diplomat is not the only one accusing Israel of apartheid; the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights released findings stating that Israel was violating international legal obligations related to racial segregation and apartheid.

According to the report, Israeli settlers and Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank are governed under different legal and administrative systems, resulting in unequal treatment in areas such as freedom of movement, land access, housing, and water resources.

The report stated that Palestinians continue to face significant restrictions and large-scale land confiscations while experiencing reduced access to essential resources.

UN officials argued that these conditions raise serious concerns under international conventions that prohibit racial segregation and require states to prevent and eliminate apartheid practices.

Israel has consistently rejected such accusations, arguing that its policies are driven by security concerns rather than racial or ethnic discrimination.

Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that comparisons with apartheid South Africa are inaccurate and politically motivated.

International Court of Justice Opinion

The United Nations findings echoed conclusions reached by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a landmark advisory opinion issued in July 2024.

In that opinion, the ICJ concluded that Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian territories was unlawful under international law and raised concerns regarding policies that could amount to racial segregation and apartheid in the occupied territories.

Although advisory opinions issued by the ICJ are not legally binding, they carry significant legal and diplomatic weight and often influence international debates and policymaking.

The court’s findings intensified international discussion regarding the legal status of Israeli policies in the occupied territories and increased pressure on governments to reassess their positions.

Impact on EU-Israel Relations

The latest dispute between Saar and Kallas highlights the growing strain in parts of the relationship between Israel and the European Union.

While the EU remains one of Israel’s most important trading partners and maintains extensive political and security cooperation with the country, disagreements over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have frequently created tensions.

European officials have repeatedly criticized settlement expansion and called for greater protection of Palestinian civilians, while Israel has often accused some European leaders and institutions of unfairly targeting the country.

Despite the current diplomatic row, both sides continue to share significant strategic interests, including economic cooperation, regional security concerns, technological partnerships, and broader Middle East stability.

Whether the dispute will remain limited to personal relations between Saar and Kallas or evolve into a broader challenge for EU-Israel diplomacy remains unclear.

However, the controversy underscores the increasingly contentious international debate surrounding Israel’s policies toward Palestinians and the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.