Israel says cutting ties with top EU diplomat over ‘apartheid’ comments
Summary
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced that he is cutting off contact with the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas. This decision came after reports that Kallas compared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to South Africa’s apartheid system, a claim Kallas has not denied, though she emphasized the importance of diplomatic dialogue.Key Facts
- Gideon Saar, Israel’s Foreign Minister, said he is suspending contact with Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief.
- Kallas was reported to have compared Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank to apartheid in South Africa.
- Saar accused Kallas of bias against Israel and called her comments a “blood libel.”
- Kallas stressed that the EU wants to continue dialogue and supports a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians.
- Saar maintained ties would stay cut until Kallas retracts or denies the apartheid claim.
- The United Nations said in January that Israel’s actions in the West Bank violate international law against racial segregation and apartheid.
- The International Court of Justice also called Israel’s occupation unlawful and expressed concerns about racial segregation in the occupied territories.
- The tension happens amid ongoing conflict and strikes in Gaza and the West Bank involving Palestinians and Israeli authorities.
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