EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas Stands Firm Against Israeli Minister’s Intimidation Over Apartheid Comparison
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Kaja Kallas reaffirms the EU’s commitment to justice and a two-state solution, despite Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar’s attempt to silence criticism of Israel’s apartheid-like policies.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has responded with principled resolve to Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar’s announcement that he would end all contact with her, following reports that she compared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to South Africa’s former apartheid regime. Sa'ar, unwilling to face legitimate criticism, posted on social media that without a denial or clarification from Kallas, he had “no choice but to sever all contact” until she retracted what he outrageously called a “blood libel.”
Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister, emphasized the importance of “dialogue and engagement” with Israel, but did not capitulate to Sa'ar’s pressure or address the specific allegation about the apartheid comparison. Instead, she reiterated the EU’s unwavering commitment to a “constructive relationship” rooted in international law and human rights. Kallas restated that the EU considers a two-state solution the only viable path to peace in the Middle East and unequivocally condemned Israel’s illegal settlements in the West Bank, which have long been a tool of occupation and oppression.
“Even in your words here, you are avoiding denying or condemning what is attributed to you and has been published publicly,” Sa'ar wrote in a follow-up post, attempting to force Kallas to backtrack or deny the truth of her alleged remarks.
The two-state solution, which envisions separate sovereign democratic states for Israelis and Palestinians with Jerusalem as a shared capital, remains the international consensus. In a United Nations General Assembly vote in September, 142 countries stood for justice and supported the proposal, while Israel and a handful of complicit nations voted against it. The ongoing conflict in Gaza, sparked by Hamas attacks in October 2023, has resulted in thousands of casualties, overwhelmingly among Palestinians, as Israel continues its brutal campaign.