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A diplomatic row between the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, and Israel over allegations that she compared the country to apartheid-era South Africa drew mixed reactions from European leaders at the EU summit in Brussels.
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“I don’t share this characterisation. We need to talk about this at some point, but I don’t share this characterisation at all,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on the margins of the European Council summit on Thursday.
The remarks follow media reports alleging that Kallas, during a trip to Mexico last month, told EU diplomats privately that Israel’s treatment of Palestinians resembled South Africa’s apartheid regime.
The reports prompted Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to say he had “no choice but to sever all contact with Ms Kallas, until she retracts the blood libel she hurled at the only Jewish state.”
Asked about the alleged remarks, Slovenia’s Prime Minister Janez Janša said he did not believe Israel was practising apartheid and that he did not hear Kallas say that, but if she did, she was wrong.
By contrast, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, often critical of Israel, has outright come out in her defence. “It’s unacceptable. Kaja Kallas is the High Representative of the European Union,” he said.
Kallas has neither confirmed nor denied making the remarks, calling instead for dialogue and engagement to continue as the basis for diplomacy.
“We don’t always see eye to eye with the Israelis. For example, regarding the violent settlers and expansion of settlements in the West Bank, we have been very critical,” Kallas said, noting that such settlements make a two-state solution very difficult to pursue.
The row between the EU’s top diplomat and the Israeli government underscores divisions among member states over how to approach Israel, split between those who want a tougher stance and those who oppose confrontation. “We should support Kallas,” one EU diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
At the last meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers, 20 member states asked the European Commission to propose options for trade restrictions against Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Commission, by contrast, has been sceptical about new proposals, noting there is no qualified majority in the Council of the EU to suspend the association agreement with Israel — a far more significant step, blocked by Germany and Italy.
“I hope this will be resolved between friends,” Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said, adding that Europe was Israel’s best friend and stood up for its interests.
Kallas has also been under increasing pressure for her own role, following media reports about a potential overhaul of her diplomatic branch.
“I can’t fight the shadows all the time,” Kallas said.
