THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Israel FM cuts contact with EU top diplomat over 'apartheid' remarks <p>Israel's foreign minister said Thursday he was severing all contact with the European Union's top diplomat over reported remarks in which she allegedly compared Israel to apartheid-era South Africa.</p><p>Diplomatic relations between Israel and the EU have come under heavy strain since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023, with violence by Israeli settlers towards Palestinians in the occupied West Bank another point of contention.</p><p>On Thursday, Israel's Gideon Saar accused EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas of "acting obsessively and with blatant unfairness" towards his country.</p>

Breaking: Israel has cut contact with the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas after reports she privately compared treatment of Palestinians to South Africa's apartheid. Questions are being asked about the timing of the leak, amid intra-EU turf wars seeking to hobble her.

Israel says it's cutting ties to EU's Kaja Kallas Israel's foreign minister says he is severing contact with the EU's foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas. Gideon Saar attributed the move to a media report alleging that Kallas compared Israel to apartheid-era South Africa.

Israel says cutting ties with top EU diplomat over ‘apartheid’ comments The UN rights office has previously found that Israel is violating international laws that prohibit apartheid.

Israeli foreign minister severs contact with EU foreign policy chief <p>June 18 (Reuters) - Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Thursday he was severing "all contact" with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas over what he said were remarks attributed to her comparing Israel to apartheid-era South Africa.</p><p>In a post on social media, Saar said Kallas had reportedly "compared Israel to the racist apartheid regime" during a visit to Mexico and that as a result he was severing contact until she retracted the comments. </p><p>There was no immediate comment from Kallas' office.</p>

'Blood libel': Israel cuts ties with top EU diplomat over 'apartheid ... Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced on Thursday that he would be cutting ties with the office of E.U. High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas "until she retracts the blood libel she directed at the world's only Jewish state." Kallas "has for some time now been acting obsessively and with blatant unfairness toward the State of Israel," Sa'ar tweeted, responding to reports that the European official, during a closed-door meeting, likened Jerusalem's treatment of Palestinians to South Africa under the apartheid regime. "Recently, it was published that during her visit to Mexico, she compared Israel to the racist apartheid regime that existed in South Africa. I am grateful to the many European elected representatives who condemned this grave statement," Sa'ar said. Jerusalem's top diplomat noted that "to date, no denial, clarification or response has been issued by her regarding this severe statement. "Therefore, as the foreign minister of the State of Israel, I have no choice but to sever all contact with Ms. Kallas until she retracts the blood libel she directed a…

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas refused to retract reported remarks comparing Israel's treatment of Palestinians to apartheid South Africa after Israel's foreign minister suspended contact with her. The dispute highlights growing EU-Israel tensions over Gaza and settlements. #Europe #Israel

Israeli FM says he is severing 'all contact' with EU foreign policy chief <p>European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar exchanged words on X after Kallas reportedly compared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to South Africa’s apartheid-era policies.</p> <p>Saar said he was severing “all contact” with the EU official after Kallas posted that the EU remains committed to a constructive relationship with Israel.</p> <p>In a post on X addressed to Saar, the EU’s top diplomat said: “I value our dialogue and engagement, and I’m open to continue in that spirit, respectfully and constructively.”</p> <p>Kallas added that the EU remains committed to the two-state solution and has reiterated that the bloc has condemned Israeli settlements in the West Bank.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/kajakallas/status/2067550712628760853?s=20'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/ka…

Israel’s foreign minister cuts ties with top EU diplomat over ‘apartheid’ remark Israel’s foreign minister said on Thursday that he was severing all contact with the European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas over reported remarks in which she allegedly compared Israel to the apartheid regime that once ruled South Africa. Diplomatic relations between Israel and the EU have come under heavy strain since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023, as well as over violence by Israeli settlers towards Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. On Thursday, Gideon Saar accused EU foreign...

Israeli FM Saar cuts ties with EU's Kallas over apartheid comment Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Thursday that he was cutting off all contact with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, accusing her of comparing Israel to apa...

Merz rebukes Kallas over Israel 'apartheid' comments - Euractiv Photo by Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images Friedrich Merz, the German Chancellor, has distanced himself from remarks by the EU’s top diplomat comparing the situation in Gaza to apartheid-era South Africa. “I explicitly do not share this choice of words,” Merz said on the sidelines of the European Council summit in Brussels. Euractiv first reported that EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas had compared the Israel-Gaza situation to South Africa’s apartheid era during a visit to Mexico last month. “We will indeed have to discuss this,” Merz said. “This is a matter that still needs to be thoroughly debated in the European Council.” EU leaders are expected to discuss the Middle East on Friday, with capitals remaining divided over whether to pursue further sanctions against Israel. Kaja Kallas compared Israel to South Africa’s racist apartheid era during high-level talks in Mexico,… 4 minutes The comments triggered a response from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Thursday, who said he had “no choice but to sever all contact” with the EU’s top diplomat. Sa’ar accused Kallas of acting “obsessively and…

FM Sa’ar severs contact with EU foreign policy chief over alleged apartheid comparison <p>Minister pans as 'blood libel’ reported remarks by Kaja Kallas; she responds that she is still willing to hold dialogue with Israel, but declines to confirm or deny the report</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/fm-saar-severs-contact-with-eu-foreign-policy-chief-over-alleged-apartheid-comparison/">FM Sa&#8217;ar severs contact with EU foreign policy chief over alleged apartheid comparison</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com">The Times of Israel</a>.</p> <figure><img src="https://static-cdn.toi-media.com/www/uploads/2026/06/DUAL-4-2-1024x640.jpeg" title="FM Sa&#8217;ar severs contact with EU foreign policy chief over alleged apartheid comparison" border="0" width="160" height="100" class="type:primaryImage"></figure>

Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar cuts off contact with EU foreign ... Photo: Darko Vojinovic/AP/TT Reddit X LinkedIn Facebook Email The Foreign Minister writes on social media that he has no other choice but to break off contact with Kallas "until she withdraws the blood accusation," calling it an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. The news site Euractiv reported on June 12 that Kaja Kallas had spoken out about Israel at a closed-door meeting with Mexican government representatives in Mexico City in May. Kallas was not quoted directly, but according to the site's sources, she had made a comparison between Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, and racial segregation in apartheid-era South Africa. Gideon Saar points out that Kaja Kallas has not "denied, clarified or commented on the serious matter." Loading related articles... Author T By TT News Agency . English edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for our readers

Israel slams EU’s Kallas for ‘apartheid’ comment: Are ties unravelling? Leaked media reports quoted EU&#039;s top diplomat likening Israel to South Africa&#039;s apartheid regime.

Israeli foreign minister severs contact with EU foreign policy chief Published byGlobal Banking & Finance Review Posted on June 18, 2026 · Last updated: June 18, 2026 June 18 (Reuters) - Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Thursday he was severing "all contact" with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas over what he said were remarks attributed to her comparing Israel to apartheid-era South Africa. In a post on social media, Saar said Kallas had reportedly "compared Israel to the racist apartheid regime" during a visit to Mexico and that as a result he was severing contact until she retracted the comments. There was no immediate comment from Kallas' office. In subsequent posts on X, Saar shared posts from other accounts that mentioned or referenced a June 12 report by European news website Euractiv that cited unnamed officials and diplomats as saying that during her visit to Mexico last month, Kallas had compared Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to that of the policies of South Africa under apartheid, a system of legally enforced racial segregation. The European Union has criticised Israel's expansion of Jewish settlements in t…

Israel cuts ties with EU foreign policy chief Kallas over apartheid comparison Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar has cut all ties with the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs over her reported comparison of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to South Africa’s former apartheid system.